


We Know the Difference Between Bonds and Chains

by Kryssa



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions, The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life
Genre: Alchemy, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Branding, But no actual sex... so far, Dragonheartshipping, Elemental Magic, F/M, Fighting sparring battling etc, Gen, Language Barrier, Love Triangles, Man Out of Time, Mild Sexual Content, Monsters, Past Abuse, Pharmacology, Pokemon Death, Pokemon as monsters and ingredients, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slavery, Slice of Life, Sonia being a good person to avoid thinking about herself, Tattoos, This is me coming up with new shipping names, atmokinesis, magic medicine, potion making
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:41:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 101,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25109401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kryssa/pseuds/Kryssa
Summary: AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.Chapter 19: "Thanks for taking care of the rest of the house. You’re an angel.”He bent down and touched her forehead with his. “Not angel. I am a dragon who has caring for his home.”The words were warmth in her skin, in her chest, and she kissed him for a few moments before saying, “Then, welcome home, Raihan.”
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Sonia, Hop/Yuuri | Gloria, Kibana | Raihan/Sonia
Comments: 103
Kudos: 85





	1. Pulverize

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own the Pokémon franchise by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I own the AU concept from the story 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'.
> 
> So I'm not very good with remembering to tag trigger warnings but I'll be clear about one thing now. Slavery is a HUGE component of this story, and I try to be respectful to the characters who are "living it", but I will only mention it once that slavery (and its associated problems) are an inherent TW. If a chapter deserves a specific warning, I will make individual mention of that issue when it arises.
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh, my beta-reader. Honestly, without her input, I would have kept this story on my hard drive because I was really afraid to post it. But she's been an angel with edits and feedback, and I'm really grateful for it all. I dedicate this first chapter to her. Thanks, Dezy!

The entrance into Motostoke used to be an ornate archway with self-important white walls rising behind them. It would then lead right into the first level of Motostoke, generally where most of the poorer population lived, before branching ramps led up to the second level. Sonia hadn’t cared much for the implication that the rich survived by trampling on the poor, but she couldn’t argue that she had very much enjoyed visiting Motostoke and its wealth of options when she came to visit. It was a different energy from Wedgehurst and provided a sort of release from her hum-drum alchemist work. She could look at the clothes, the food, the books, the sheer number of _options_ that just didn’t exist in her little po-dunk town.

None of that looked to be in existence anymore. Now, there was a giant zig-zagging ramp that lead directly up to the new entrance dead-center in the middle of new, iron-and-brick walls colored in unforgiving browns and blacks. After the Wild Area Invasion, someone must have had the clever idea to prevent Motostoke from being overrun again and built the difficult-to-access door on the second level. She could only guess what the inside might look like.

_Clever idea. Too little, too late, though_ , she thought as they slowly made their way towards the entrance. She turned to Victor. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Let’s hear it,” he grinned as he leaned against the carriage’s back.

“The… your team transports goods, right? What are they called?”

“The Black Charizard Freight Corps.”

A Black Charizard was a rare type of fire-breathing monster. Sonia assumed they named themselves after such a destructive animal as if to prove their strength. “If you travel so much, why didn’t you use a Repel back there? It’d have saved you the headache of a fight.”

“Too expensive,” he said immediately. “We only bought a handful before leaving the Crown Tundra and used them up already. Captain Leon tried to parse them out for emergencies, but, well, there are always emergencies in the Wild Area.”

“Oh.” Repels were cheap back in Sonia’s time. She used to sell one Repel for 5 coppers, or a box of twelve for 5 silvers, and that was her getting the better end of the deal. “Why so expensive?”

He looked at her like she was not all there mentally. “What do you mean? They’ve always been expensive.”

Sonia flustered a bit before saying, “I mean, I’ve been cooped up in the Wild Area for a long time. You know. Living with nature. I’m a bit naïve on the state of things. So, uhm, pretend I don’t really know anything.” Half-truths were still truths, right?

He gave a tiny little shrug, letting it go. “Motostoke’s Power Spot was destroyed 200 years ago. Without any Motostoke Alchemists, the main trading site serving the southern part of Galar, the price of Items down here has been sky-high. They’re better in the northern region, like Wyndon or Hammerlocke, but you’ll never find anything made by an alchemist for less than five silvers. And that’s if they’re the drinking, smoking type of alchemist who makes shitty Items.”

The pieces were starting to fit together. A person with magical talents could only become a true Alchemist if they made a pact with the Power Spot of a certain area. Sonia had bonded with the Motostoke Power Spot when she was 10 and had been tapping into the Galar Particles through it since then. But after the Invasion, no future Alchemists could be made in Motostoke; there was no active Power Spot even though the Galar Particles still existed. No sane person went after the Wild Area Power Spots because it would be courting certain death. They’d have to go up to Hulbury or Turffield, or down to Klostria or the Crown Tundra. And it was not fun crossing the Tundra on a regular basis.

_Two hundred years ago,_ she thought with a block of ice in her stomach. _It’s been two hundred years._ But Victor was looking at her so she said, “That’s quite a problem, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, sure is. Good thing you were around with your potions and Repels. It really saved our hides.”

“Just lucky, I suppose…,” and even though Victor looked to be ten years younger than her, his eyes were sharp and knowing and Sonia didn’t think she could get away with another lie.

They rode in silence up the ramps and she took the time to try and deepen her story. There was no way to explain to people that she was a 230-year old Motostoke Alchemist who had frozen herself in time to keep from dying in the Invasion. And given how rare alchemists were nowadays, she did not want to give away that secret. She could get by saying that she was a pharmacist, making medicines with no Galar Particles imbued into them, and that seemed like the most not-lie she could come up with.

_At some point, you’ll have to tell someone,_ she argued with herself. _Being an Alchemist is in your blood, your heart, your soul. Pretending to be something you’re not is just going to destroy you. Not making Items is like a baker not baking._

Soon enough, she was jolted out of her thoughts as they came to a stop and Leon started yelling out directions to everyone. “Thanks again for the ride. Though I think you’re right – my ass might have actually split into four pieces after that trip,” Sonia said as she stepped off the back of the carriage. It was a truly magical creation; a carriage that required no animal to pull it along. Instead, Victor had mentioned something about there being a “Ponyta under the hood”, which Sonia didn’t understand a bit and he shook his head and said it just worked. The Mudsdale were being ridden by a few of the Black Charizard Freight Corps members rather than put to use pulling the mechanical carriages.

Victor let out a good-natured laugh as he hopped down. “Well, if you want to ride with us again, I’ll get you a special cushion.”

“I’ll pass, thank you,” she said wryly before taking a moment to look around. Motostoke didn’t look anything like she remembered from two centuries ago, and she just needed the time to come to terms with this new reality.

It was bad enough looking at The Meeting Place, now utterly overrun by the Wild Area; seeing Motostoke as this odd patchwork-quilt of memory and never-before-seen was throwing her off even more. Some of the buildings had been in existence in her time, but they had either been renovated while others looked, well, hundreds of years old. Things were not where they should be… but neither was she.

_So where do I belong in all of this_?

No Gran to guide her, none of her old friends to bounce clever ideas off, not even her home or books or anything to bring stability. This whole situation felt awful, and it wasn’t because Sonia hated being alone (which she didn’t). She hated the _loneliness_ , the feeling of being lost in a world, in a time that wasn’t hers. That truth sunk into her chest like an ice pick sliding between ribs; it was almost enough to make her fall down and scream.

_I don’t want to be alone again_.

“You all right?” Victor asked, his eyes gentle, and Sonia gave herself a mental shake.

“I’m just tired.”

“Well, wandering through the Wild Area will do that to anyone! You should come with us to the Budew Drop Inn. They’re the best place to stay in Motostoke. Let’s go!”

“Hey! Don’t go running off so fast,” came an impatient feminine voice, and a girl who looked like Victor – same brown eyes, same shape of the face, _same age???_ – came around holding the reins to one of the Mudsdale riding by the carriage. She was short and seemed unassuming, but Sonia could see the curve of her muscles beneath the casual tunic. _This_ was a powerful woman. “You can help me unsaddle the animals and set them up for the night.”

Sonia’s confusion must have shown on her face, and Victor said, “That’s my sister, Gloria. She’s the animal/monster trainer here. Come and check them out.”

Sonia dutifully followed Victor into the stable, and Gloria was already there with the other Mudsdale. She was talking to the animals like they could understand her, praising them for their strength and how brave they were as she pulled off their reins. Victor was mucking out one of the water troughs despite the Mudsdale nibbling at his hair and his riding gear. Sonia let out a little giggle, and Victor tossed her a look over his shoulder.

“You ever fed one before?”

“No.”

“Want the experience?”

Today was a day of first times, so Sonia shrugged. “All right.”

Gloria immediately handed her a bucket of mixed grains and dried hay, and one of the Mudsdale immediately came over to inspect. It nibbled at the bucket and gave Sonia a chance to gently pet it and gaze in awe at the giant creature.

“Put it in the stall over there. Hang it on the hook. Yeah, like that. Come on out and shut the half-gate. Vic, can you put water in the trough?”

“Let me get the hose.”

“No magic left? Weak.”

“Next time, _you_ can fight off the attacking Perrserker.”

Sonia never had a sibling, but she had to admit that the two of them were not really selling her on the experience. _Not that it could ever happen anyway_. But she did have plenty of magic reserve, and after following Gloria’s orders, she stood next to the trough.

**“Water Pulse,”** and she used lifestyle magic to make water for the animals. Anyone with magic talents could do these kinds of simple things; Sonia just held back from mixing any Galar Particles with it. Regardless, the three Mudsdale immediately ducked their heads into the trough, and Sonia had to fill it up a second time in order to satisfy the animals.

“Nicely done,” Victor said.

“Thanks for the help,” Gloria grinned. “The Mudsdale like your water. Says it tastes good.”

“Oh. Thanks.” That was the first time she’d ever received praise like that, but sure. Finding new and unusual applications of her magic was always fun.

She heard some noise from outside and around the carriages, and curiosity got the better of her. She stepped out from the barn, and it quickly became evident what was going on.

A dozen men stood in line at one side of the area, while a handful of women stood on the other side. All were dressed in rough cloths that pretended to imply modesty, all were filthy and reeked even from a distance, and all had their hands tied behind their backs and to their necks.

_Slaves_.

Sonia was not unfamiliar with the concept. There were slaves back in -200 Before Now, and some of the customers she sold her potions to were either masters or slaves themselves. Her Gran had never approved of the system, wrinkling her nose at the thought of buying another human and treating them like worthless trash… but then again, she had Sonia to do the dirty work, and it was easy to boss her granddaughter around. Sonia herself had never had a slave, even after Gran was gone, preferring to work by herself rather than willingly finance such an ugly system.

For a split second she wondered where all the slaves had come from, then she saw Captain Leon come around from the other side and talk to an older gentleman with graying temples who looked oddly suave. They seemed to be arguing about something, and the man was gesturing to the lines of slaves.

_Oh. Ooooh!_

“We don’t just transport goods,” Victor said, coming behind her and giving her a warm pat on the shoulder. “We’ll transport anything that people are willing to buy. Slaves aren’t my favorite thing, but we have to make a living somehow.”

“They’re gross,” Gloria said, wrinkling her nose and standing on Sonia’s other side. “I mean, yeah, slavery is gross, but the carriages are a total mess after we transport them. There’s a metal pan underneath to catch all their droppings, and washing that out is probably the least fun job you can imagine. Speaking of which, shall we?”

Victor groaned. “I’m ready to suffer,” and the two of them set to work.

But Sonia wasn’t watching them. Instead, she was looking at the slaves.

Most of the people living in Galar were relatively light skinned, though it wasn’t hard to find exceptions; Captain Leon and Hop were two easy examples. Her long-gone friend Nessa was considered the beauty of Hulbury, and she was not a fair-faced woman. But these people were darker than them, the comparison between brown maple and dark mahogany. Their faces were different, their hair tied up in ways that Sonia didn’t recognize. She’d never seen anyone that looked like them before.

They were being evaluated by inspectors working for the slave trader, going so far as to look inside mouths or underneath clothing. A few workers made comments while checking the women, and Sonia mentally seethed with anger though she knew there was nothing she could do about it. None of the slaves were in good shape – all looked malnourished and sick and very evidently abused – but there were a couple of men who looked like they were living by sheer willpower alone. At least one was hunched over with one leg dragging behind, and another looked like he was about to collapse into the ground. It was heartbreaking to watch.

But she pretended to be invisible and reached out with a tendril of magic. **“Chatter”** , and the wind gently carried the words between Leon and the other man back to her. She leaned against the wall and simply listened.

“I understand your situation, but these are the calculations my inspectors have come up with.”

“That’s at least forty silvers less than I can accept.”

“Captain, I am the only trader in Motostoke who buys slaves from Pasaar. I am truly trying to do you a favor, but I cannot do better than this offer.”

Leon pointed at something on the ledger. “This offer here – this is the one I’m most concerned with. Your evaluation is far below how much it cost me to bring him here.”

“Well yes, I mean, take a look at him,” and he gestured for an inspector to separate one of the men from the rest. This slave – the one who was almost collapsed onto the ground – actually fell at the men’s feet when the inspector threw him down. He barely managed to get to his knees, but it cost him.

“He is nearly non-functional,” the trader said, pulling the slave’s head up by his hair, and Sonia inhaled sharply at the action. “Those injuries on his chest and shoulder? Made to purposefully cripple his activity. The whip wounds on his back are also scarred, preventing him from full upper body range of motion. This slave is no longer useful in the fields, mines, or on the battlefield.”

“He was sold to us because he defended another slave from the master, so he must have a certain amount of physical capabilities.”

“Well, that’s another problem,” and he let go of the man’s hair with a disdainful gesture. “I don’t need a wild animal around. Apparently, this one doesn’t understand much Galarian. Only understands Pasaari, which automatically drops the price by 20 silvers, and is almost completely mute. Doesn’t say a word.”

“Well, none of that really explains the near fifty-silver drop.”

“To recap, given the physical injuries and current illness, the inability to understand or speak Galarian, and overall poor behavioral history means that this slave is probably not worth the rope you tied him up with. Might as well dispose of him. I can handle that if you don’t mind.” And the man made a gesture, and one of the inspectors came forward as she unsheathed her sword. The slave tried to struggle, but another inspector grabbed the neck rope and held him in place. Leon, for his part, was shaking his head but didn’t seem to have the words to help.

Sonia had let the information flow through her, trying to come up with excuses on why she should do this. _Someone who can help me gather ingredients. Someone who can’t tell anyone else my secret. Someone who can’t leave._

At the same time, part of her was making excuses why she should do nothing. _It’s not my business. You don’t have any way to support two people. You would be supporting the slave trade. You don’t have to do anything._

_(The feeling of waking up and discovering her whole life, her whole world was **gone** and she knew that he must understand the feeling, that devastating pain, because while she lost her time he lost everything)_

The sword in the inspector’s hand flashed in the sunlight.

**_I can’t let him die_ ** _._

So she didn’t think as she strode up to Leon and the slave trader and said, “I’ll buy him.”

Literally every head in the area turned to her. She felt her face flame right up, which was awful because her complexion offered no protection from the blush, but she met Leon’s wide eyes and tried to ignore everything else. “I, uhm, just came to the area, and I don’t have any help. I need someone. I’ll buy him, so… don’t kill him. Please.”

Silence fell over the area for a good ten seconds before Hop let out a laugh, walking over to join her. “Well, well. Looks like we’ll get our pay from Miss Sonia. We’ll give you a deal, then. How about thirty-five silvers, and we’ll make Mister Rose over here pay for performing the slave contract, all right?”

Leon jumped right on board and gave Rose a broad smile. “I think it’s in your best interest to say yes.”

There wasn’t even a hiccup in his behavior; Mister Rose spoke warmly to her as he handed some papers to Leon. “You are a generous soul, Miss… Sonia, is it? I would be happy to provide the contract supplies.” He turned and started bossing around his employees, and someone took the slave away.

“What’s happening now?” Sonia asked anxiously.

Hop carefully plucked the paper from Leon’s hands. “They’re cleaning him off. Here – you just need to sign here and here. And if you give me your gold coin, I’ll get your change while you do the contract.”

Sonia gave up the coin while she signed with a little bit of magic ink from her finger. Leon took the paper from her, then leaned in.

“Let us know if you have any problems with him,” he murmured into her ear. “The contract should keep him from hurting you, but you’re a woman and he’s….”

She gave him a smile that didn’t touch her eyes. “Thanks for the concern, but I’ll be fine.”

Soon enough, Rose’s team came back with a desk, a small burner that would have been appropriate in a chemist’s store or her old alchemy lab, and a handful of different branding irons. One was nearly the width of her hand, and the smallest about the size of two thumbprints. They brought her slave ( _oh gods I hate that phrase already)_ around, who still had his hands tied behind his back but was now dripping wet from the spray-down he received. It didn’t really clean him so much as just make him _less_ dirty. He was brought back to his knees in front of her, two inspectors holding him in place at the shoulders.

It was the first chance she’d had to look at him; before she could only see his scarred back from where she stood listening to the conversation. Now, however, she could see his face.

She couldn’t really get a handle on what he really looked like; the trauma of slavery was draped so strongly over him that she could only guess his age to be between 25 and 55. His hair was black and long, brushing his shoulders and used as a curtain against the world. He had a beard that was ragged, going halfway down his neck, and looked like it had been pulled over and over. He had evidence of muscles that were something between overused and wasted away from hunger.

But it was his eyes that really caught her attention. They were malachite green, a shade she’d never seen before, and it surprised her was that they _burned_. She expected a cold sort of hate, the type that seems like apathetic homicide, or even lifeless resignation, but the emotion hidden there was very much hot. Part of her mentally recoiled, but the other part nearly wept with the sorrow that _someone did this to you_.

“He doesn’t have a name,” Rose explained. Sonia’s brow furrowed in confusion; there was no way he got to be that old without a name. “No one has bothered to give him a proper Galarian name. I assume it is because he is too stupid to understand our language.”

“Does he have a… Pasi? Pari?”

“Pasaari?”

“Yes. Do you know that name?”

Rose focused on the slave and used one of the unheated brands to make him look up. “Name?”

He just stared back; no words, no nothing.

“There, see? Too stupid to know. Name him what you will, or don’t,” he said, casually slapping the man as if he were a fly and making Sonia flinch. “From what the paperwork indicates, it is estimated that he’s in his early thirties. Initially brought over about four years ago with the first wave of slaves. His skills have included manual labor, field work, house labor, and at least one run through as a pleasure slave. Do let me know if any or all of those skills were accurate; I like to speak with the original sellers about any misinformation about their wares.”

She didn’t say anything; just nodded and tried not to throw up.

_He’s my age. Gods, the things he’s seen and suffered. And he’s my age_.

Now Rose showed her the brand he was holding; of course, he had picked up the largest. “Given his size and history of violence, I advise using an extra-large brand. It helps keep the contract more stable.”

Sonia was pretty sure that Rose was full of shit, and instead pointed to the one with the smallest brand on the tip. “I think I can manage a slave who can’t lift his arms over his head. That’s what you were talking about, right? His wounds keep him from doing hard labor.”

Rose’s smile cracked for a second, and Sonia suddenly felt that this man was far more dangerous than any slave she could ever come across. But he put the mask back on with a performer’s ease as he switched out the brands. “You are a very generous, caring master.” Now he raised his voice and looked at the other slaves. “Do remember that the greatest gift in the world is a master’s benevolence. May you all serve with such loyalty and care, giving every moment of your life for their use. Their love is a gift, and you can never fully repay it.”

Sonia rubbed her eyes with one hand and tried not to look too upset. _Can we please hurry this up?_ The circus was becoming less amusing the longer it went on. But then the ritual was starting, and the burner was lit with a hot blue fire, and Rose was chanting over it. One of the inspectors came to Sonia’s side, and helped her with her part.

**“Bones.”** Sonia wasn’t about to cut off a finger for this, but she cut off one of her nails with a borrowed knife and put it in a silver cup.

**“Blood.”** Now she pierced herself with the same knife on the back of her arm, in a good fleshy part near the elbow, and a small stream of blood fell into the same cup. When she offered enough, a cotton cloth (and a touch of magic) closed the wound.

**“Breath.”** She let out a soft breath over the cup, and it mixed up the blood and nail enough that they dissolved into a black liquid.

**“Burn together.”** By this time, Rose was really getting into it, and he stuck the brand into the fire and had Sonia hold the little cup above the flame, far enough to keep from burning herself but close enough to warm up the liquid. With the heat, it went from black to silver.

**“Four elements, two humans, one contract. Be blessed in this union, you who will serve for the rest of your life, and know that your value is only that which your master can give. Pray that you may serve her for all time, that your joy will come from offering your unworthy body to her needs. Her will is your life, forever until death.”**

There was no warning as Rose pulled the white-hot brand from the fire, turned in one smooth motion, and put it into the slave’s skin just under the curve of his neck, right at the level of the jugular notch. Sonia herself let out a small gasp of surprise, but the only thing he did was clench his jaw and curl his lip in a silent snarl. _He has a small fang_ , she thought dumbly, focusing on his mouth and not the smell of burning flesh.

After seven seconds, Rose pulled away the brand and held out his hand; Sonia immediately gave him the cup. He forced the liquid down the man’s throat, tilting his chin up to prevent him from spitting it up, and Sonia could see a white sheen of magic hover over his skin before it focused into the brand’s mark.

**“The contract is complete.”**

Which is good because Sonia didn’t think she had the energy to keep going like this, and _she_ wasn’t the one being branded.

“Looks like everything is done here,” Victor said, coming up to Sonia’s side. “I’ll load him into one of the carts while you finish up.”

Victor did just that, and Sonia went to speak with Rose. “Thank you for your assistance. I’m sure it’s evident, but I’ve never… bought a slave.” She felt foul saying it but tried to keep her words neutral.

“You have done me a favor by taking the deadweight off my hands. When you need to control him, use the phrase **‘I order’** or **‘my order’** , then proceed with the command. Disobedience will result in worsening levels of pain until he follows through.”

At least now she knew how to use it, so she could avoid it. “Thank you.”

“Perhaps, in the future, I can keep you in mind for further purchases?”

“I think this experience has been quite enough, but thank you again, Mister Rose.”

“Then take care, Miss Sonia. May our business paths continue to cross with benefits for us both.”

She headed back to the only mechanical carts that was turned on. Apparently, the Black Charizard Freight Corps left most of their traveling equipment at the slave trader’s stable, which had enough space to house the extra carriages and recovering Mudsdale. This particular cart was carrying all their personal affects, and reached the Budew Drop Inn quickly enough.

Around the back was a place to keep the carriage protected from the weather. Sonia jumped down and looked around; there was an outdoor bathing area, probably for workers who wanted to clean off before coming into the inn for a more formal washing. That would suffice.

She ran back to the carriage as people were unloading. Sonia recognized four of the people as part of the Corps, but they didn’t seem interested in her so she ignored them for the moment. Instead, she reached inside and saw her slave ( _I can’t keep calling him that, he deserves a name_ ), who was laying on the floor and no longer tied up, and she reached out to touch his hand.

His head darted up when he felt her touch, and he pulled away like a wounded animal. Very patiently, she held out her hand and made a soft ‘come here’ gesture with her fingers. It took a few moments for him to get his energy, but he very purposefully did not touch her as he slowly climbed down the carriage. He wobbled when his feet hit the ground, and Sonia immediately braced herself under him to help prevent another fall.

“It’s all right,” she said, knowing that he wouldn’t understand but needing to talk anyway. He shook her right off, though, and wouldn’t take her help. “Fine. Let’s go get you cleaned up.”

She gestured in the direction of the bathing area, and she slowly led him over. As they moved, Sonia came to the realization that he must be tall when he wasn’t doubled over in pain. He was at least a full head taller than she, and at 175 cm Sonia wasn’t a short woman. When they reached the area, she sat him down on the stool. There was a bucket near a well, and Sonia immediately went to fill it up.

“What are you doing?” Victor asked as he watched her.

“Uhm… washing him up?”

“Maybe you want to let him do it?”

Sonia knew he couldn’t walk; there was no way he could stand or pull a bucket of well water up. “I don’t mind,” she said, setting it down at the man’s feet.

“He’s a slave. _Your_ slave,” Victor said, speaking slowly as if to a child. “He can do that while you come in and get a room.”

She wasn’t about to be pulled from her position, even if she did feel a little bit silly with Victor’s eyes on her. “I’ll draw up some water for him to drink, and then I’ll come in.”

Victor finally looked satisfied, and Sonia pulled up another bucket of water. This time, she handed it to him. Meeting his eyes, and hoping that he’d understand, she gestured, “Drink this. Wash with that. I’ll be back to get you.”

It took him a second to pick up on what she was saying, but then his eyes went wide. He pointed to the bucket in his lap, then his lips. She nodded vigorously, and he immediately drank it so fast that some poured down his chest and into his lap. Pleased with herself, and that they were able to communicate even the tiniest bit, Sonia headed inside.

“Hi, welcome to the Budew Drop Inn,” a lovely woman said from behind the counter. She had long white hair and sweet blue eyes and looked to be a generation older than Sonia. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”

“I’m Sonia. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Melony.”

“We can vouch for her,” Hop said, coming up behind Sonia and tossing an arm over her shoulders. “She’s pretty great. She helped us on the road from the Wild Area.”

“Oh, how wonderful to hear!” Melony smiled. “Heaven knows they could use all the help they can get.”

“Ouch. No wonder why Gordie rides with us instead of stays here,” Hop said, never losing his smile. “But Sonia here needs a room for a while.”

“Two rooms,” Sonia clarified. “My slave needs one.”

“Well, slaves aren’t considered ‘people’,” Melony said sympathetically. “They’re technically property and can’t be accountable for holding a room. We do have a holding pen outside, though.”

Well that was unpleasant fact. “I’d like to have him in my room, then.”

Melony put a finger to her lips. “Well, I have one that has two beds. It’s at the end of the hall, so if you have dirty things there no one should notice.”

Sonia was hoping to get him clean enough to not be a problem by the end of the day, but things would be what they would be. “I’ll take it,” and Hop interrupted her by saying, “Put her room and meals for the next week on our bill.”

“Oh, that’s too much,” Sonia said immediately.

“Nah, you did the Corps a favor,” he said. “Besides, it won’t break our bank; room and board in Motostoke is pretty cheap. And I suspect we’re gonna want to talk to you about other things anyway, so it’s nice to have you around.”

Well, there was no reason to turn down a deal like that, so Sonia graciously accepted it and the room key. She carried her bag and armful of dried herbs, plants, and Berries upstairs. It was spacious with two beds, a table, and a single chair. To her surprise, there was an attached bathing room, though it had these metal pumps and handles and holes in the floor that Sonia didn’t recognize. After a few minutes walking around the room, she discovered the reason why it was available despite being so large.

Both the bedroom and bathing room smelled like mold, and she could see some tiny Rattata droppings in the corners. A closer look at the beds indicated stuffing that was likely infested with bedbugs. Ew to all of it. She shut the door, threw open the window and ventilated the rooms with **“Gust!”**. Then she grabbed a couple of the plants, a Relaxed mint, and a tanga berry.

**“Dehydrate,”** and the plants were quickly dried out to the point of usefulness.

“ **Pulverize.”** All were mashed up with magical pressure until they were a fine powder.

**“Form transmutation vessel.”** A magical, transparent bubble – like malleable glass – enveloped the ingredients. She added water with, **“Aqua ring.”**

**“Shake,”** and while her arms shook up and down holding nothing, the vessel moved with her motions.

**“Separate dregs,** ” in a perfect filter that let only the solute through.

**“Distill. Condense.”** Finally, she removed the excess water and was left with a very potent, active solution that she immediately began to aerosolize.

There was no point in adding Galar Particles to this; all she needed was an effective insecticide, not a potion, which she then misted around the rooms and carefully avoided breathing too deeply. If she listened hard enough, Sonia liked to think that she could hear the screams of dying bugs. The mint helped bring a soft scent to the room, pushing out the moldy stench, and should make the place livable for the next week or so.

But now she needed a Repel, and figured out that she had enough supplies for just two more. _May as well make them at the same time_ , and she pulled out her last two alchemy vials.

**“Dehydrate. Pulverize. Form transmutation vessel. Aqua ring. Galar Particles. Shake. Separate dregs. Distill. Condense. Anchor,”** and real Items required special stabilization to prevent Galar Particles from escaping before usage.

She sprayed one Repel all around the bedroom, bathing room, and even some at the door frame. Not that she expected a Perrserker to come running through the door, but it would keep all the little Rattata and Blipbugs out for a long time.

Finally, she focused on the potion requirements. After taking stock of her supplies she figured she’d have to make a regular Potion rather than something stronger. Her slave needed healing, for sure, but she didn’t have the ingredients for anything better. So be it; she could go shopping or herb hunting after he was more stable.

_Maybe I should check on him before making one._

She rinsed and sterilized the now empty Repel vial and placed it on the table before heading back outside. When she got to the bathing area, she was shocked to see her slave standing spine-straight against the wall. He wasn’t well but she could see that he was pretending as hard as possible. When he saw Sonia, he immediately fell to both knees and put his head to the ground.

_Oh, no thank you! I will have none of this._ She may have bought herself a slave, but he was a person no matter what other people kept trying to tell her.

She could see that he was still wet, that his loincloth was also soaked and had probably been used as a towel, that the most obvious dirt was gone but his hair was still a wretched mess and he still bore a slight odor of malady. Sonia bent down and touched his shoulder, and even though she couldn’t see him move she could still feel him flinch.

“Look up,” and she carefully brought her hand to his cheek, then down to his chin. She made him look up at her as gently as she could, and the feeling of their eyes meeting was… electric. There wasn’t a way to explain the sensation of him looking at her, but also trying to see _into_ her, trying to figure out the person he was dealing with and how to keep her temper from turning ugly. It was unnerving, to say the least, and she wished that he could understand how much she _didn’t_ want to hurt him.

**“Dehydrate.”** She dried him and his clothes with a little bit of magic; the use of it surprised him though he quickly put a blank expression back on his face.

“Stand up,” and she first stood up, then offered her hand. He, again, refused to take it, but stood up with the help of the wall. Like this, she could tell that he was at least a quarter meter bigger than her. Good gods, she’d never met anyone so tall before. “Follow me.”

He did, always a constant two steps back, and they slid into the Inn without anyone but Melony seeing. “Think you’ll be hungry later?” the hostess asked.

“Yes. And I think he’ll need something too if you have anything soft on the stomach,” Sonia explained, gesturing behind her.

“I’ll ask Hosea to put something together. Come back in a few hours, and we’ll have dinner started in the dining hall too.”

Satisfied with that, Sonia took him upstairs to their room and locked the door. It was unquestionably important that no one know what she was going to do. She pulled out a chair and gestured for him to sit. But he kept standing, looking like a statue about to break.

“Please sit.”

No response.

“Please! Uhm…,” and she looked around before pointing to a space between the beds. “Stand here.”

He moved at her request, and she put her hands on his shoulders. Another invisible flinch, and Sonia ground her teeth. She pushed down, and he went to his knees again. _Fine. It’s the best I can do._ But he was so tall that even with him kneeling, his head still came to just under her chin.

“I’m going to look at your wounds. I promise I’m not going to hurt you. Just… keep your hands down.”

His skin was hot, hotter than her own. _A fever?_ There were some poorly healing whip wounds on his back, and they sat on top of wounds that were even older. Using a technique taught by Gran, she carefully pulled down his lower eyelids. The inside conjunctiva was pale, almost white, rather than a healthy pink. His skin was too dark for her to tell, but she could easily assume anemia from all the other evidence.

When she moved around, she was surprised to recognize tattoos over his shoulders and down his arms. He was a little hirsute, and the layer of dirt he’d had before made them easy to overlook, but at this distance she could see that he had two different animals that swirled from his trapezius and deltoids down to his elbows. She couldn’t make out what they were, but if she had to hazard a guess, they looked like dragons – just no dragon that she’d ever seen. One looked scaled with a pair of wings and a gaping maw full of sharpened teeth, while the other was a wingless and heftier creature breathing out a mouthful of fire. They were also painted against an intricate design that looked floral but not delicate, and it almost seemed as if they were subtly shifting on his skin. Almost breathing. _Impossible._

From there, she moved onto his chest where she found more wounds. _That_ was from a poorly healed clavicular fracture. _That_ was from a trio of broken ribs. _That_ was a stab wound into the shoulder, and _that_ looked like a stab wound into his hip; both were young. A small wonder he could even walk; wounds like this could kill if they hit an artery or vein. _That_ was a cut that ran from his uninjured shoulder to the opposite hip. And _that_ was the gift of slavery, burned into his chest.

His body was a painting of abuse.

“How awful,” she murmured to herself. “I’m so sorry for everything. No one deserves this. I wish I could hear your story. I wish this never happened. I wish I knew your name.”

She paused, then looked him in the eye again. It made her heart race, but then she took his hand and used it to touch her chest. “Sonia. My name is Sonia.” Now she used his hand to touch his chest. “Your name?”

He understood, and the light in his eyes changed from empty to bright. For the first time, she heard his voice. It was deep, a little rough with disuse, and it vibrated from his skin into hers.

“Raihan.”

“Raihan?” she echoed, closing her eyes to try and get the tone and accent right. The vowels had almost a soft ‘uh’ sound, like a flick of the tongue, and she said his name a few times to make sure she had it. “Raihan. Okay. This is good. This is progress.”

“Master,” and the word had a foreign lilt to it. He pointed to her, using the same hand that she was holding, then back at himself. “Master Sonia. Slave Raihan.”

So Rose wasn’t completely correct in his assessment. Raihan might not be fluent but he wasn’t stupid either. He must have learned a few words to keep alive.

But those weren’t the words she wanted him to keep. “Sonia. Raihan. No ‘master’-‘slave’ nonsense,” she said firmly, now letting go of his hand. “So now that we have that cleared up, I need to help you.” _I hope the Slave Contract understands Galarian_. “Here’s **my order** : do not tell anyone about my Alchemy abilities.”

The seal on his chest momentarily pulsed white, and Raihan looked a little surprised but not hurt. _Ah, so it does._ A repeat evaluation of his wounds, and Sonia came to the unpleasant realization that she’d probably need a Hyper Potion or something stronger to undo the injuries he had sustained. A basic Potion would keep him from dying, but it wouldn’t fix the long-term issues.

_Better do what I can for now._

She didn’t think he would be able to fight back, so she gestured for him to stand up. He immediately obeyed, and when she gave him a surprise shove in the chest, he fell right onto the bed.

“Stay!” she said, keeping a finger against his forehead. He made another feeble attempt to stand, and then gave up when she refused to move. “Good. Thank you.”

She then pulled out dried sitrus roots and leaves and cracked open an iapapa berry. She extracted the seeds, sniffing it before nodding in satisfaction; they could eat the fruit later, and put it under a time-lock spell. Finally, she picked a rather tiny looking rawst berry from the pile. It wasn’t going to be the same kind of Potions she gave to the Black Charizard Freight Corps, but it would help his fever and the brand’s burn.

**“Dehydrate,”** and the berry and seeds shriveled up. **“Form transmutation vessel**. **Aqua ring.”** She tossed in the roots first, then the leaves, then the dried berry.

**“Galar Particles,”** and magical energy that only Sonia could see floating through all of Galar suddenly coalesced and entered the vessel. After shaking it up and down for a few minutes – _ow, my biceps, it has definitely been 200 years since I’ve done this_ – she then added the iapapa seeds one at a time. She watched the color stay a stable blue as she shook it, but on the twelfth seed it changed to bright pink. _Yes! Perfect!_ **“Separate dregs. Condense. Anchor,”** and she put it into the vial and quickly stoppered it with her thumb.

Satisfied with the quality, Sonia turned around and held it out to him. “Here. Drink this.”

No motion, and it was a sharp disappointment to see that he looked completely stunned by her and was _afraid_ of taking it from her. _Why would he be afraid? He literally saw me making it. Does he think I’m going to poison him?_

“I guess we do this the hard way.” She tilted his chin up just a fraction, then put the vial to his lips and slowly poured it into his mouth. He managed to drink it before choking and finished the vial in three large gulps.

**“Water Pulse. Sterilize,”** and she rinsed out the vial so it’d be ready for the next potion. “Well? How do you feel?”

Raihan touched his chest, where the burn had healed into a young scar, then reached over to his injured left shoulder. He rolled it around, wincing a little, but seemed taken aback by the improvements. He was also talking in Pasaari ( _hah! I remembered!_ ); when he got better, she’d have to try teaching him some more Galarian words, and vice versa. She was so trapped in her head that it took a few repeated calls to get her attention.

“Sonia!”

_That_ word she understood. “What’s wrong?”

He pointed at her and repeated what he said before; this time she was paying attention.

“ _Ahmirna_ _Sonia_. _Ahmirna_?” he made a vague gesture with his hands, calling up a little fire between them with his own lifestyle magic ( _well that’s interesting; Rose didn’t mention that!_ ) and making it sparkle.

“… Alchemist? _Ahmirna_ means Alchemist?”

“ _Ahmirna_ ,” and he nodded before stumbling over the word, “Alchemist. Alchemist Sonia.”

“Yes! Yes, I am!”

Now the surprise on his face morphed into awe and something a little more fragile. It was as if she was both the answer to his prayers and a nightmare come true. She could see something warring inside him as he looked at her, and she had no idea why this knowledge was so personally important to him.

_Did I do something wrong?_

The tension was tight and high in the room, and Sonia had to do something or one of them would explode. “Lay down and rest. You’re still sick. Sleep.” She pulled the top sheet off the bed, then started gently pushing him until he took the hint and laid down. “Sleep.”

She stripped her bed too and took both sheets outside to the washing area and, after a good spin in a magical wash basin with a **Dehydrate** and **Sterilize** to finish, they were clean. By the time she returned, Raihan was asleep.

_Good. He needs it,_ she thought as she laid his sheet on top of him after tossing hers down. Then her hand moved without thinking; she ran a finger from his forehead down the side of his face. He let out a soft sound, almost turning into the touch, and Sonia snatched her hand back. _Oh fuck! I’m sorry! Please don’t wake up._

Praise to the gods, he continued to sleep. Now feeling extraordinarily guilty, she quickly grabbed her bag and scooted out the door.

Where Hop was standing right outside, arms behind his head and looking patient as the sky.

“Hi, Miss Sonia,” he grinned. “Just the person I wanted to see. Is your slave all right?”

“He’ll be fine.”

“You have a ton of ways to help people, huh?”

Sonia raised an eyebrow. “Is it something you want to talk about?”

“Damn, you’re sharp,” he said, not losing the smile. “Do you have a few minutes to spare?”

There was only one answer, and Sonia followed him into his room.


	2. Pressure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 2: But now that she had nothing but her thoughts to grapple with, she could feel the weight of the day’s reality pushing on her. 'Locked in suspended animation for 200 years. Waking up to find my home and hometown destroyed, everyone I loved long dead. Finding out I’m the last Motostoke Alchemist in existence. Meeting the Black Charizard Freight Corps. Buying Raihan and saving his life. Finding a job. Choosing to go on living rather than give up.'
> 
> It was… a lot. It was too much.
> 
> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: 'Forever in My Dreams' by Thomas Bergersen/Two Steps From Hell. 
> 
> Many thanks to DezyPhresh again for beta-reading for me. She keeps me on my metaphorical toes!

It took an hour before Sonia came out of Hop’s room, tired and worn but extremely satisfied.

Despite his very easy-going mannerisms and friendly attitude, he was sharp as a tack. He didn’t know that she was an alchemist, but he jumped to the conclusion that she had some hidden stockpiles of Items somewhere that she could tap into. He didn’t even prod when she said she’d rather not discuss the situation that brought her to them. Instead, he made her a business deal.

“If you give us the Potions – or any type of alchemy Items – we will act as your middleman and sell them.”

It was a great idea, and frankly Sonia wished she’d have thought of it. “You’ll keep my involvement a secret?”

“Yeah, of course! I mean, I think you’d make a killing down here in the south Galarian region if you opened your own store, but if you want to keep your Items under wraps, then that’s your choice.”

They haggled for a bit longer, stomping out some details that Sonia was very firm on – “I won’t give you poisons or things to hurt people, I pick what I want to sell, you guys keep my secret and help me in case it gets exposed, help me acquire certain supplies, and I want this signed in a magic contract!” – but both parties were happy with the end game.

Even better, she’d keep 65% of the market price of Items, while Leon and his people would receive 35%. It felt fair, considering that they were doing a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of getting her customers, retrieving supplies, and selling them on her behalf.

But her first order was already placed: the Black Charizard Freight Corps wanted 10 Hyper Potions, 10 Super Potions, 20 Potions, 20 Repels, and 5 Super Repels. She could do that in four days with proper supplies. He gave her half upfront, which was 6 golds and nearly made Sonia’s head spin.

“Thanks again for agreeing to work with us,” Hop had said at the end, still smiling that disarming smile. “I’ll start writing up the contract. Come on by tomorrow so we can clarify some details. Oh, and here’s the change I forgot to give you earlier. Sixty-five silvers, Miss Sonia.” He winked at her as she looked at the golds in her other hand and poured all of it into her money sachet with her brain in a tangle.

Sonia stretched her arms as she headed back downstairs. She’d have loved to take a nap, too, but there was too much to do. _First, I have to go shopping for clothes. Two hundred years does a number on cloth, and I need new stuff. But I can’t let Raihan walk around in a dirty loincloth. I have to get him some stuff too. After that, I’ll need some alchemy supplies. Oh boy, I’m definitely going to need the money._

As she walked out of the Inn, she ran into Victor and Gloria. “Oh, hi Miss Sonia,” she said. “Where are you headed to?”

“Just Sonia, please. And hoping to go shopping for new clothes. My outfit is a little old,” she said, and pointed to the new holes in her dress and cloak. “Do you have any suggestions?”

“I can show you the good stores. Wanna come with, Glo?”

“Normally, I’d love to go, but I’m going to check on Hop. It’s been a busy day for us all,” she said sympathetically. “Maybe another time?”

Victor gave her a knowing grin and brow wag. “Yeah, make sure you’re done checking on him by the time we come back, or none of us will sleep tonight.” Gloria punched him in the shoulder before heading into the Inn, and Victor walked with Sonia.

“What was that about?” Sonia asked.

“Hop and Gloria got married last year. Teasing my sister gives me life.”

“Oh! How wonderful for them! Are you married?”

“Not me! We travel way too much to make it something I can focus on right now. When I have a little more money in savings and a good woman in mind I might settle down, but not right now.”

They bantered a little bit more while walking. Motostoke’s layout hadn’t actually changed all that much in the past 200 years, but the shops were not where she expected them to be. It was a good thing Victor didn’t mind acting as her escort; she would have been lost a hundred times over.

When they arrived at the clothing store, she was pleased to see all the different types of cloth and colors inside. She loved fashion and make-up, loved making herself look like a hundred different people with just a change of clothes, and the change in trends over 200 years was almost overwhelming. But rather than waste Victor’s patience, because she certainly could spend _hours_ here trying on new combinations, she focused on things she could afford.

“So I’ll need a new cloak, shirt, skirt, boots, and undergarments. And then I’ll need men’s shirts, trousers, and undergarments.”

The shopgirl was a godsend; she didn’t try to force Sonia to try on a million things – despite how much she would have enjoyed it – and only brought her a few outfit combinations to try. She ended up buying a green shirt with a light blue skirt and leggings underneath, a simple dark gray shirt-and-pants combination that was almost masculine in design but looked very comfortable, and a fun yellow dress with purple flowers on the skirt because she liked the color combination. Styles were quite different now, and the hemline for the skirt and dress were much higher than she expected, but it made her feel flirty and young. Apparently, undergarments were much smaller too, and Sonia was almost scandalized by the little scraps of lace that were brought out. But the shopgirl assured her these were perfectly normal, and Sonia didn’t really see any other options other than taking a half-dozen pairs of each.

She also bought some cute knee-high boots that would protect her while she went herb hunting, and a long white cloak to her knees made of woven Bearctic fur for traveling. Victor gave her a look at wearing _white_ in the Wild Area, but Sonia explained that she could clean it very quickly with magic and not worry about color fade, and he just shrugged and said it was her money to waste.

Victor helped her pick clothes for Raihan; based on his height, the two of them guessed he’d wear the largest size available in the store. Sonia had no choice but to buy two simple black shirts and dun-colored trousers because they were the only options available. Victor picked the undershirts and pants because Sonia admitted that she knew nothing about fit or comfort, and he just looked pained but did it anyway. There was no way in hell she was buying him a pair of shoes, and he’d just have to go barefoot until he could get properly fitted.

After paying for her things, they headed over to a general store. She bought six bars of soap, one bar of laundry soap, lamiac-scented hair soap and oil, lotion, a large scrubbing brush, teeth cleaners, a comb and brush, two pairs of scissors, a foldable hand mirror, a delicate purse for her personal items, and a heavy-duty knapsack for carrying it all.

When they exited the shop, the sun was starting to set. _My first day alive in 200 years,_ she mused as they headed back to the Inn. _I wonder what’s in store for the rest of my days here_.

* * *

“Welcome back, you two,” Melony smiled as she saw them enter. “Dinner is cooking for anyone who wants to eat. We’ve got spicy hamburger curry or sour leek curry.”

“I’ll take both,” Victor said. “We’ve been walking so much even my legs are empty.”

“I’ll take the spicy hamburger curry. Let me run these upstairs first,” Sonia said, immediately booked it to her room. She carefully opened the door, but Raihan was still asleep and she just put the new clothes and toiletries on the floor before heading back downstairs.

Victor was still leaning against the counter and she went right to him. There wasn’t a free table in sight.

“You can sit with our team,” Victor said, reading her mind. Now that she was looking, she could see Hop, Gloria, and Leon sitting at one of the larger benches. They were chatting with the four other people that she didn’t know.

“So Leon is the Captain, right?”

“Yeah, he founded the Black Charizard Freight Corps with his brother. Hop,” he added as a second thought.

“Oh! I didn’t realize!” But now that she had a moment to look at them, it’s so painfully obvious that she admitted the only reason she didn’t notice before is because she was too floored by the developments of the day to pay proper attention.

“Hop looks easy-going enough, but he’s the brains of the outfit. He created the routes and manages most of the day-to-day stuff. For a guy who founded a literal transport service, Leon couldn’t find his ass from a hole in the ground.”

Sonia let out a snort. “Such affection between all of you.”

“Almost all of us are family in one way or another.”

“That must be nice. You’re never alone.” She decided that becoming maudlin in the middle of a tavern was a poor idea and moved the conversation. “So is Gloria your twin?”

“Yeah, she’s my little sister – but she’d kick my ass if she heard me say that so don’t let her know I told you. She takes care of all the animals in our caravan, and she’s incredibly knowledgeable about different monster species too. Ask her about any of them and she can tell you their strengths and weaknesses like reading a book, and where their habitats are so we can avoid them.”

“So what do you do?” A beat. “That came out wrong.”

Victor smiled. “I’m the scout and tracker. I usually travel a little ahead of the caravan to make sure the route is safe, but I’m one of the two first-line fighters.”

“Impressive. Who’s sitting next to Gloria?”

“That’s Bede, the healer and a master of mind magic. He and Hop do NOT get along at all. I think it has to do with my sister, but that’s one fight that I genuinely did not want to know about.”

“All right, I’ll keep my nose out of it. Who’s across from him?”

“Gordie, our heavy lifter and shield knight. He’s practically got granite for bones, and I’ve seen him lift a fully grown Mudsdale out of a trap. He’s the other first-line fighter.”

“He looks kind of familiar….”

“His parents are Melony and Hosea.”

“That’s convenient. Do you get a family discount when you come by?”

Victor’s only answer was a hearty laugh.

“How about the girl?”

“That’s Marnie. She’s the engineer and craftswoman of the group. Keeps the carriages from falling apart. A total wizard with anything made of metal. Next to her is Piers, her older brother. Don’t let his outfit fool you – he’s a master bard and magician. Can come up with a spell to eviscerate you before you can make a rhyme.”

By this time, Melony had brought them their tray of food and drinks out. It smelled amazing, and Sonia was half-tempted to eat it while standing up, but Victor pulled her over and made proper introductions around the table. Leon offered her the seat between him and Hop while Victor sat by Gordie and Marnie.

Sonia didn’t miss the look in his eye when Marnie gave him a tiny smile and a nod.

_Ah. Well that explains why he won’t stop traveling._

At first, she was worried it would be awkward sitting with such a close-knit group, but everyone was incredibly friendly – except for Bede, who was stone-silent – and she was glad that she didn’t have to eat alone. She didn’t quite fit in, but Leon’s warm smiles and Piers’ ability to spin a tale made her feel like she might have found some friends.

The curry was thick and spicy and full of perfect cuts of meat and came with a side of rice and wild greens. For her first post-awakening meal, it was the best thing in the world. Sonia almost licked the plate clean; she made sure to offer her most heartfelt compliments to Melony to pass onto Hosea.

“Aren’t you a love?” she smiled, picking up dirty dishes. “If you wait just a minute, I’ll have your second dish ready and waiting.”

“What are you up to tomorrow?” Gloria asked, her chin propped on her hands.

“I’ll probably go shopping for some herbs and berries,” she said, starting to weave her tale. “I’m a pharmacist moving to Motostoke, and I need some new ingredients.”

“Oh, great! You can be my new go-to person for my joint medicine,” Gordie said, flexing his fingers. “I think my current pharmacist is selling me bullshit instead of gold.”

“Do you have a supplier?” Marnie asked Sonia.

“No.”

“I’ll take you to see Milo tomorrow,” Victor said firmly. “He’s got the best stuff in town… at least, that’s what he says.”

Sonia would be the judge of that. “Sounds great. But I think it’s time for me to get some rest. It’s been a busy day.”

“You let us know if you need something,” Leon said, meeting her eyes, and it struck her that he must be contemporary in age to her. All of a sudden, she was very aware of how his eyes looked like Royal coins – and twice as rare to find. _He’s not hard on the eyes, either._

She broke the hold with effort. “Thank you, everyone, and it was a pleasure to meet you. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Victor.”

She headed to the counter and took the proffered tray from Melony; on it was a glass of kebia juice, a scoop of unflavored white rice, toasted bread with no butter, two nanab berries, and a small cup of boiled mixed vegetables. It didn’t look tasty, but Sonia would bet money that it was at least twice as much food as Raihan had eaten today, maybe the last few days, and wouldn’t hurt too much going down. She couldn’t give him rich, milky foods until his body was ready for it.

When she entered the room, Raihan was still lying in the bed. After she put the tray down, she could see that he was wide awake and watching her.

“I brought you something to eat.” She touched her lips. “Food. Eat.”

He sat up but didn’t make a move to the table. It struck her as a possibility that he might be too weak to stand on his own. _Stupid Sonia; you’ve taken care of sick patients before. Be more considerate._ So she grabbed the plate of rice, a fork, and the glass of juice. Then she carefully sat on the bed, making sure not to crush his legs in the process, and offered him the glass.

“Drink.”

She was getting a little tired of him just staring at her without actually saying or doing anything, and was starting to suspect that it was not all due to the language barrier since she could almost see the wheels turning in his head. But she also assumed it was due to the slave training he’d viciously received that prevented him from acting like a normal person.

 _I won’t have him thinking he doesn’t deserve something as simple as food and drink_. She put the glass right against his lips and tilted it. He was smart enough to not let a single drop fall, and Sonia only let him drink a third of the glass before pulling it away and putting it down on the floor.

“You can’t eat too fast or you’ll get sick,” she said, more talking to herself than to him. “Take a few breaths, then we’ll work on eating.”

She counted ten breaths before picking up a forkful of rice. “Open wide.”

But instead of following her lead, he furrowed his brow and asked her a question. Of course, she didn’t understand a word of it. He kept talking, as if the little bit of juice and Potion were enough to rejuvenate him, and Sonia let him talk because she didn’t think there was anything else he wanted from her.

When the words began to run out, she picked up the fork and put it against his lips again. Reflexes took over and he took a bite. “I have no idea what you said, and you have no idea what I’m saying, but you need to eat. You look like you haven’t had a decent meal in years – probably four, given what Rose was saying. And that’s not right.” She continued to feed him, bite by bite, as her own words tumbled out. “Everyone tells me that you’re a slave and a thing, not a human being. And yeah, I know that’s what the law says, but the law can lick my clit.

“I don’t know a damn thing about Pasaar. I don’t know why there are slaves from another country being brought to Galar. I don’t even know what exact year it is, what happened to my friends, where everything I’ve ever known has gone. I don’t know where we’re going to live, how we’ll afford a home, or even if I’ll find the ingredients for the Black Charizard job. But I do know this. I know that I’m an alchemist, probably the last Motostoke alchemist in the world, and I’m _really_ fucking good at my job. And I will do anything – _anything_ – to make sure you have everything you need or want. You’re not a slave; you’re a person, and just as important as I am. You’ve given me your life, even if you didn’t want to, and I promise to cherish it for the rest of mine.”

The last phrase came out sounding like a wedding vow, and Sonia was suddenly glad that Raihan couldn’t understand her. When she looked down the plate of rice was clean, and her hand was shaking from the emotions. She couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to know what she’d see on his face.

“Drink some juice,” she murmured, and this time he didn’t need any prodding to drink. She put away the plate and grabbed the boiled vegetables while he finished another third of the cup. _This looks like something a toddler would eat._

She brought it over, and he raised an eyebrow at her. _Really?_ she could almost hear him think, and it was the first time she felt like she could see a bit of the person beneath the slave’s mask. “I know but try it.”

He didn’t have much of a choice; in part because Sonia expected he was still starving, and because he seemed to decide against antagonizing her. She stayed silent while he ate, and after the veggies he started to look sleepy. It was a healthier look than the full-bodied exhaustion he had radiated mere hours earlier. He drank the last of the juice, and Sonia made him lie back down.

“Sleep.” She pretended to close her eyes. “Sleep.”

“Sleep,” he repeated, watching her. “Raihan sleep. Sonia sleep?”

“Sonia bath. Then Sonia sleep.”

“Bath?”

She mimed scrubbing her arms and cleaning her hair, then poured pretend water on her head.

“Ah. _Kernat_. Bath.”

It gave her a bit of a thrill that they were starting to pick up each other’s words. “Yes. Sleep, Raihan.”

He needed no further prodding, and Sonia left him to rest.

* * *

Apparently, technology had progressed so much in 200 years that something called ‘plumbing’ now existed. When Sonia walked into her bathing room, she was so befuddled by all the shiny metal parts that she ended up going downstairs to ask Melony for help. It was embarrassing but once she figured out how things worked, she sent a prayer of gratitude to the gods for this innovation.

There was a section for relieving oneself without leaving the room or using a chamber pot, and could be washed down a pipe with water from the other side of the room. There was a round bathing tub nearly a meter tall and one-and-a-half times that in diameter, set right under a pipe that brought fresh water from outside. A plug sat in the tub’s bottom, and when she was done it could be emptied into the floor’s larger drain. There were shelves built into the wall where she could keep her clothes and toiletries without worrying about them getting wet, a window with translucent glass that would bring beautiful light in the morning, and a lantern hanging from the ceiling for evening cleansings.

She took a long time washing and cleaning her body. Being in stasis for 200 years earned a bunch of dust in places she didn’t think should have dust. After scrubbing her hair _twice_ , she added some oil and combed it out before tying it into a bun on her head to keep it out of the way. Normally her hair fell nearly halfway down her back, and she took quite a bit of pride in how beautiful and full her curls looked when they were free.

Once she was clean, she emptied out the bathing tub and refilled it with water that was magically heated with **‘Scald’**. She added some Galar Particles to the bath, and it helped soften her skin and loosen up some muscles that she hadn’t realized were tight. It felt wonderful, and she laid in the water letting time float away as she daydreamed and drifted.

_When I find my own house, I am definitely having a room like this. It’ll be twice as big, the bath made with Pineco wood so it’ll be fragrant, the plumbing able to pump in a lake’s worth of water in just a few minutes. It’ll be perfect._

But now that she had nothing but her thoughts to grapple with, she could feel the weight of the day’s reality pushing on her. _Locked in suspended animation for 200 years. Waking up to find my home and hometown destroyed, everyone I loved long dead. Finding out I’m the last Motostoke Alchemist in existence. Meeting the Black Charizard Freight Corps. Buying Raihan and saving his life. Finding a job. Choosing to go on living rather than give up._

It was… a lot.

It was too much.

At first she thought the falling drops were just sweat, but then they kept coming, and the pressure kept building in her chest and her head and soon Sonia was curled in the tub, trying to cry as quietly as possible so as not to wake up Raihan.

_Shh, Sonia. It’s okay. You’ll be okay. You did fine after Gran left, and you were only 18 at the time. You’ll get through this, and everything will work itself out. You don’t need to cry._

But she couldn’t convince herself to stop crying no matter how much she scolded herself, no matter how much she tried to soothe her own fears and pains. It was like 200 years of loss were pouring out of her, and all she could do was try to stifle the sobs with her hands.

 _Gran. Nessa. Garrick. Veronica. Eoghan. Laurel. Dillon._ Images of friends and family long dead started flashing through her head. _I never got to say goodbye. I wish I did. I wish I could have seen you one more time. I miss you all so much._

And then her ears picked up the sound of footsteps right at the door. “Sonia?” came Raihan’s voice, muffled by the wood.

 _Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck._ “Go back to sleep,” she said, trying to keep her voice level.

He said something she didn’t recognize, so she tried again. “Sleep, Raihan. Please.”

No further sounds, but she didn’t hear the footsteps recede. She was no longer crying, thanks to his interruption, and she splashed some of the now-tepid water on her face before releasing the drain. **“Dehydrate,”** and now her body and hair were dried, and she could throw on her undergarments. She warred with whether or not to put on her shirt and leggings, because she was foolish enough to forget sleeping clothes when she went shopping, then decided that the camisole and boy-cuts were going to suffice because she just couldn’t bring herself to care. The last thing she did was blow out the lantern, hoping the darkness would give her some umbrage.

When she opened the door, she was not surprised to see him standing there. The waxing moonlight was shining through the window, and it provided enough light that she could see him looking down at her with a slightly furrowed brow. Sonia didn’t have the energy to try and decipher the expression.

“I’m all right. See?” and she plastered a tiny smile on her face.

He didn’t buy it. Instead, he drew a line trailing from his eye down his face. “ _Ullag_?”

Well, no point in lying. “Yeah. But I’m fine now.” Ok, that was a lie, but he wouldn’t know. She tried not to look at him too much; Sonia knew that her nose got red and her eyes got puffy after a cry like that, and she was vain enough to not want him to see her even in the minimal light. “Sleep?”

But he did something she didn’t expect, given how guarded his actions had been until now.

He reached out and touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers, and his thumb touched the underside of her eye. No tears to brush away but he didn’t pull back, and Sonia didn’t move because outside of handshakes or casual touches this was the first real human contact she’d had since waking up.

She knew she was taking comfort from a man who had been ceaselessly giving and giving because everyone else in the world thought they deserved his life more than he did. _But he was the one who got up, stood at the door, waited for me to come out, touched me first… so it’s okay, right?_

It probably wasn’t really okay, but she just closed her eyes and tried to remember what it felt like to be touched by a friend who knew she needed the warmth. And that thought – _my friends_ – hit her like a rock in the chest, and her eyes burned and her throat tightened up and she tried to blink away the new wave of emotion crushing her but it wasn’t working and now there was something for him to brush away.

“Sonia?”

“I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I… I’m just having a really hard day. Not compared to yours… but a lot of things happened today. I just need some time to deal with it.”

He brought up his other hand to her face, continuing to wipe away her tears as her breath left in sobs, and Sonia didn’t even realize that she’d closed her eyes and buried her cheek in his palm. It was only when one of her hands came up to cover his that she realized how close they were. He had calloused fingers and palms, making the skin rougher than hers, but he felt _real_. Beneath the scent of dirt that he still carried she could smell something like incense or spices, unfamiliar but alluring all the same. It was enough to distract her from her pain, and a few deep breaths of him finally stopped the flow altogether.

She opened her eyes and almost shivered underneath the intensity of his gaze. “I feel better now. Thanks, Raihan.”

“Sonia,” and the way he said her name almost made it _dirty_.

Now she did break eye contact because it was too late at night and she was too tired and just didn’t know how to deal with what might be forming between them. “Let’s get some sleep.”

His hands drifted away from her face, leaving her cold and wanting, but she had to pretend that she was fine because she didn’t know what would happen if she tried to look for that touch again. She put a hand at his shoulder and gave him a gentle push in the direction of his bed. This time, however, he didn’t budge. She tried a second time with similar results. “What’s wrong?”

“Sonia sleep,” he said, turning the motion back on her by taking her hand in his and pulling her in the direction of her bed. She had no choice but to follow, because now he was using his height and weight to his advantage, and it wasn’t until she was laying down with her own covers pulled up that he seemed satisfied. He spoke two words at her, and Sonia had an idea what they meant.

“Good night to you too,” and Sonia fell asleep before she could hear him walking to his own bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (07/13/2020): I decided to update this story for a few weeks in a row, since I have a couple chapters already written and in reserve. I promise I'll get back to the others, though. Also, since I can find absolutely ZERO evidence online of a fandom shipping name, I've decided to call this pairing 'Dragonheartshipping'. Those who disagree can come take it up with my boss.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who is reading! I know this is an uncommon pair, and a bit of a sensitive topic, but I'm glad to see that it is, nevertheless, getting some attention. You guys are awesome!


	3. Transformation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 3: And when he met her eyes, she could barely hold his gaze because there was power in that look, power in the way he seemed to see her past her emotional barriers, as if for that moment in time their roles were flipped from slave and master into lord and serving woman. As if they both just remembered that he was naked, and she was kneeling beside him with a hand full of soap.
> 
> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: "Imana Nushif (Montage)" from the Children of Dune OST. It should start when Sonia begins making her potion; at 1:10, the effects of the potion take place. From 1:37 to 2:23, there is the swell of emotion that follows the events, and the song tapers off through the end of the chapter.
> 
> As per usual, many thanks to DezyPhresh for beta-reading this.

Sonia woke to the sound of the window slowly opening and someone pouring water. Rather than sit up or move, she kept her eyes closed and let the memories of the night flow over her.

_The delight of a bath_

_The sorrows and tears from loss_

_The warmth of someone else’s skin on hers_

She then focused on the here and now; Raihan must be awake. But she wanted to know who he was when she wasn’t watching, and kept her eyes closed.

With an inaudible **“Chatter”** , she listened to the sound of him drinking some of the water before placing the cup back on the table. Then, after a few moments of silence, she heard him start to whisper words that made no sense. It slowly dawned on her that he was singing – _no, he’s praying! –_ and a subtle whisper of magic underlined the words. First the rustle of stones rubbing against each other, then the sound of rain falling into a puddle. A fresh breeze brought birdsong into the room ( _through the open window_ ) and finally the crackle of fire.

His voice never rose above a soft whisper, but there was power in his baritone that made the hair on her arms stand up with an unnerving thought.

_Was he an alchemist in his home country?_

The thought was enough to make her breathing change, and Raihan immediately stopped the song and said, “Sonia?”

 _Better play stupid_. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, pretending like she had really just awoken. “Raihan? Why are you awake so early?”

He looked more refreshed today than last night, though he was still so thin that she couldn’t imagine how he was holding himself up. Instead of answering, he looked behind himself and held up a small pitcher of water with a clean cup. “ _Iv_.” Then he poured some for her and brought it over. “ _Chawd_.”

“Thank you,” and she drank the whole thing without taking a breath. _Crying makes me dehydrated. Ugh, I’ll bet my eyes look awful._ He poured her a second glass, and she drank that too. _Aaaaand now I have to water flowers. Great._

She kicked him out of the room so she could use the bathing room in complete privacy. After washing her hands and her face, with a touch of **“Ice shard”** pressed on her eyes to help with the swelling, she threw on one of her new outfits. The green short-sleeved shirt didn’t quite cover her stomach, and her skirt made only a half-hearted attempt to reach down her thighs, but the leggings provided appropriate modesty. Add on the new boots, restyling her hair in the usual side ponytail she preferred, and Sonia felt like a new woman. Ready to face the day!

She opened the door and gestured for Raihan to come back in. When she pointed for him to sit on the chair, he actually followed her command. After she peeled one of the nanab berries, he took it with only the barest hint of resistance before chowing down. He took the second one without prodding, and when he was done Sonia took a seat on the bed to be at his level.

“This language barrier is going to be a problem. I know you can’t understand what I’m saying, and I can’t understand you, but I’ll try and help you if you help me.” She paused a moment, not really sure what she should say. Finally, she just gave up and shook her head. “Well, I think you need a cut and a shave and a really good bath.”

She gestured for him to bring the chair into the bathing room, then sat him down. She pulled out the scissors, bought for this explicit purpose, then touched his hair. “Cut your hair?”

For a moment he looked frozen in fear. Sonia’s stomach sank and she wondered if her attempt at doing him a favor was just going to backfire. Did he think she was going to stab him?

Finally, he lifted his hands to his head. Whatever concerns he’d had seemed to have lost against the urge for the cut. “ _Bak_ ,” and he gestured to his temples and around the back of his head with two fingers, miming a scissor action. Then he grabbed a handful of hair on the top of his head and shook his head. “ _Bak nev_.”

“Cut. _Bak_ ,” Sonia started, gesturing to her own head for clarity. “So cut, I mean, _bak_ at the temples and below. But no _bak_ on the top.”

“ _Es_.”

“Yes. _Es_. That’s easy to remember,” she said, a tiny flicker of warmth in her chest at learning something new, and got to work.

Sonia hadn’t ever claimed to be a pro at doing hair, but she used to cut her own hair from time to time and got good at figuring out how parts worked and the way to layer. Unfortunately, his hair was a wretched mess with countless mats to deal with. She realized she was going to have to trim some of the hair regardless of his wants. It was brushing his shoulders and she cut a straight line at his chin to have something to work with. Once that was done, she was able to wash the remaining hair and create a part with a painful amount of patience. They took a break so she could give him some bread and leftover iapapa berry to eat, then went back to work.

Finally, nearly an hour later, both her and Raihan were satisfied. She’d done a very severe undercut, going closer and closer until she was nearly shaving his head; only a razor could get a closer cut. With the help of a liberal amount of oil – and she was going to have to buy more today – she managed to get the knots out and keep enough hair on his head that he could tie it up. He had tried to do it himself, but with his shoulder still out of commission, Sonia tied it up in a single ponytail.

“That was an ordeal,” she sighed, rolling her neck on her shoulders before stepping in front of him. “All right, let’s get down to the beard. _Bak_?”

Raihan gestured for her to cut it all off. After she was done and had gotten as close to his skin as possible, he had her step back as he held up a hand.

 **“** ** _Qah_** **,”** and the pads of his first two fingers lit up with soft orange flames. He then quickly ran them over his face in sharp, quick gestures, and Sonia could smell the hair burning away until he was completely clean-shaven from temples to neck. Now, he was the one to let out a sigh of relief as he shook the fire off his fingertips.

The transformation was incredible; she’d found his features striking before, but now it was like night and day. She could more clearly see the sharp angle of his jaw, the lines of his cheekbones, the graceful rise of his neck. Her eyes kept wandering over his face, entranced by the difference that a haircut and a shave could make in a man. If there was a word more intense than ‘handsome’, that’s the word that would fit him.

Even more fascinating were the tattoos that she found underneath all that hair and beard, which was in part why she cut so close to his scalp. He had those same animals from his shoulders drawn against his temples, looking like they were perched on his ears whispering secrets to him. Symbols trailed down his neck from the tails, and it looked almost like handwriting as the lines made it over to his shoulder tattoos. She wondered what they meant.

And when Raihan caught her staring, he gave her a smile that lifted the corner of his lips, as if telling her that he wasn’t upset by the attention. Sonia herself, however, felt a wave of fire over her own cheeks, and went to the tub to turn on the water.

“Let me get rid of this, and you can get cleaned up. **Gust,”** and she gathered all the hair into a pile before muttering, **“Ember,”** and sending the smoke right out the window. She momentarily stepped out to grab his new undergarments and outerwear, which she placed on the lowest shelf where he could reach. She returned to the bathtub once it was filled enough, muttered **“Galar Particles. Scald”** into the water, and was pleased with the warmth when she checked it.

“Bath. Ke… ken….”

“ _Kernat_.”

“ _Es. Kernat_.” But he didn’t move, though she could tell he wanted to. “Oh here, let me help.”

She held out her hand, and he warred with himself before taking it and letting her lead him to the tub. She casually looked away as the loincloth hit the ground, still holding his hand for support, and he let out a hiss of a breath as he stepped in. But the sound gave way to relief as he sank down, and Sonia let herself turn around and keep her eyes on his upper body. The soap was on the nearby shelf from last night, and she pulled it down before offering it without looking at him.

A splash of water, and a hand wrapped around her wrist. He gently pulled her in the direction of the tub, and her heart started to skip as she wondered exactly what he was implying.

Then he directed her hand to his back, and Sonia breath came out in a single exhale. “Oh, okay! Yes – _es_ , I can do that.”

And she began the task of washing him down. At first it was just his back, cautiously touching the wounds that were no longer red and inflamed but healed and scarred over. Then, when she offered the soap again and he still didn’t take it, she started washing his injured shoulder. _His eyes are closed_ , she discovered when she peeked up at his face, though he furrowed his brow when she touched his shoulder a little too firmly. _But it still hurts. Guess that’s why he needs my help._

Well, that thought inspired a bit of boldness, and she went to work on the rest of him without asking for permission. She scrubbed and cleaned and was pleased to hear a few soft sounds emanating from his throat as she worked him over. She even went up to the recently cut hairline, and it was amusing to feel him almost melt into her fingertips as she massaged some hair soap into his newly shorn scalp. She pulled a little water from the tap to rinse out his hair, then re-tied it for him. Once that was done, she slid to his other shoulder and arm. The water was starting to turn gray and sudsy, but that meant it was opaque and she didn’t feel so nervous about accidentally catching a glimpse of something private. He was so tall that he couldn’t fit his legs in the bathing tub, left to dangle over the rim, and she washed and rinsed him off without a word.

But once that was done, the only part of him unwashed was his stomach and pelvis; she knew that touching him there was going to change this energy in a way she didn’t think she was allowed to. The words ‘sex slave’ kept flashing in her head like fireworks, and she wasn’t going to have him thinking that her kindness came attached to some very sickening strings.

“Raihan?”

“Mn?” But his eyes stayed closed and his expression was something close to peaceful. Sonia hated to break it, but she just wasn’t ready to give him the kind of wash-down that she used to give to Garrick.

So she tried again, gently shaking his good shoulder to wake him up. “Raihan?”

This time, when he opened his eyes, he looked surprised to see her there, to remember where he was. A look of pain flashed right past his eyes – _still a slave_ – before he composed himself and put his hand over hers.

“ _Zher marom_. Thank you,” and the words were heavily accented but perfectly understandable. The feeling of his hand, almost twice the size of hers, engulfing it and holding her in place was making the hairs on her arms stand on edge.

And when he met her eyes, she could barely hold his gaze because there was power in that look, power in the way he seemed to see her past her emotional barriers, as if for that moment in time their roles were flipped from slave and master into lord and serving woman. As if they both just remembered that _he_ was naked, and _she_ was kneeling beside him with a hand full of soap.

As if a part of him was ready to ask for her to finish the job.

_Ask me_

Instead, she took his other hand, put the soap into it, and held it for a split-second longer than necessary before quickly rinsing her hands off. He kept looking at her, and it was almost more than she could handle but running out of the room didn’t seem like the grown-up response.

It might be the only thing she could do.

“I’ll let you wash in peace. **Dehydrate** ,” she said carefully before getting up and walking ( _don’t run_ ) out of the room as the water fell away from her clothes. She shut the bathing room door before leaning back against it and letting out a breath.

 _What the hell was that? What the hell is going on?_ She had the old habit of arguing with herself, and it came back in full force. _I don’t… I don’t understand what just happened between us._

 _Perhaps he’s realizing that you don’t think of him as a slave,_ she thought to herself, and started pacing the room.

_That is complete shit and you know it. And even if it wasn’t, that still doesn’t explain why he’s acting like he wanted me to stay!_

_Did you want to?_

The mental image rose into her brain before she could stop it. _Her hand covered in soap, reaching down between his legs. His mouth on hers, arms holding her against his still-soaking chest. Stripping her clothes right off. Straddling his waist. Riding him. Screaming his name. His voice echoing against her ear as he comes inside of her._

She covered her face with her hands and tried not to scream. Sonia was not a virgin and had previously enjoyed herself in different relationships, but this raw desire was completely unlike her. She’d never met a man whom she wanted to touch – and be touched by – this badly before. Too bad she absolutely could not do that without becoming the worst kind of person in the world.

_What do I do about this?_

A knock on the door. “Sonia?” and Victor’s voice came flowing through the wood. “You awake?”

 _OH fuck! The shopping trip!_ “Yes! I’m fine!”

“Still up for visiting Milo today?”

“Absolutely! Raihan is just washing up, and we’ll be out in a few minutes!”

“Do you want me to order you two some food?”

“Yes please!”

 _So apparently, I do nothing right now. How convenient._ She knocked on the bathing room door. “Raihan? Are you okay?”

He opened the door, but only enough for her to see that he was still soaking wet. No towel in sight. Damn, she was flakier than a Wedgehurst pastry! **“Dehydrate!** I’m so sorry about that. When you’re done, Victor’s getting us food.”

Her voice must have had enough anxiety in it to encourage him to move fast, and he got quickly dressed. When he came out, Sonia was relieved to see that the shirt and pants seemed to fit – kinda, sorta? They were baggy while also being a bit short on his forearms and ankles, but he offered no complaints. _Eating might fix some of the problem._ “You look good. We’ll buy some shoes today, too.”

He was also holding the loincloth, and Sonia plucked it out of his hands before tossing it to a corner. “You won’t need that again. I’ll use it for wrapping up glassware. Let’s go!”

She grabbed her new traveling pack and cloak before shooing him out of the room and heading downstairs. Of the Corps, only Victor was in sight.

“You look exhausted,” he said to Sonia as the two of them sat down at his table. “What happened last night?”

“I had a bad night. Coming to grips with some _personal_ things.”

He changed the subject like a pro. “I got us some Miltank yogurt with berries and oats. Melony has her own animals here and every MoonDay is yogurt day. Well worth the weekly wait.”

Despite how good it sounded, Sonia decided that the yogurt might make Raihan ill and needed to be kept away. Otherwise, she was looking forward to a nice meal.

“So you found out his name, huh?” Victor said gesturing with his chin to Raihan. “How?”

“I just asked,” she shrugged. “I think Mister Rose is not very willing to think outside the box he keeps himself inside.”

A very tiny smile at the corner of Victor’s mouth. “He’s not one of my favorite people, either, but we’ve got to make money, and it’s the same coin whether it’s from a god or the devil. Here comes breakfast.”

It was deftly carried by a young girl about 13 years old, and she looked like a younger version of Melony. “Here you go,” she chirped. “Three Budew Drop Yogurts, mixed berries, ground oats with cinnamon and honey-sugar, and freshly squeezed razz berry juice.”

“Thanks a lot,” Victor said with a grin.

“No problem! Who are you guys?” she said, as she served the dishes.

“I’m Sonia. This is Raihan.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Miranda. Mom and Dad own the inn, and I help with cooking and serving.”

Sonia smiled. “You’re doing a fine job. Thank you.”

The three of them dug into breakfast; well, Sonia had to give Raihan explicit permission by almost shoving the bowl of oats into his mouth, but he ate like it might be the last chance for a few years. She took his yogurt portion but gave him her oats in return. He didn’t seem to care, and she just enjoyed the silence shared with the two men as they ate together.

When they were done and heading outside, Victor said, “Outside of Milo’s, is there any other place you want to go? Leon and the others are still sleeping, so you can have a monopoly on my time.”

“Let’s go shoe shopping first. Raihan needs a pair.”

It was a weird feeling, having her and Victor – who was actually an inch or two _shorter_ than her – walking ahead of Raihan, who towered over both of them in silence. They garnered looks from the people around them, and Sonia was annoyed to hear people whispering about “the slave”. Victor didn’t seem to care much, and he explained that the best place for shoes was at a different shop than the one they initially attended.

“This shop is known for making hardy shoes, primarily for adventurers. Captain Leon comes here for his because he’s a goddamn beast on two legs, and can wear through a pair of boots faster than a Rhydon through paper,” he explained as they walked in. “If any place is going to have shoes that fit your man, this is it.”

Although the cordwainer initially seemed hesitant to work with Raihan, Sonia’s subtle flash of silver coins in her hand made all the difference. He measured Raihan’s feet and legs, brought out a few pairs of boots, and explained the different materials used for each. They all looked good, but Sonia wasn’t the one who would wear them.

“Which do you like?” she asked Raihan. He blinked at her again, and she had to go through a few minutes of miming either “happy face” or “frowny face” to figure out which pair he wanted. In the end, Sonia bought a pair of mid-calf boots made of high-quality Sandaconda skin. The cordwainer explained that the skin was durable but also very flexible; they were good for fighters who valued speed and acrobatics, or those who happened to regularly ride animals. He threw in a pair of men’s socks for good measure, and Sonia was pleased to see that Raihan looked more comfortable as they went walking.

They passed by the general store, and Sonia made a quick dash inside for towels, more hair oil, and (because she saw it this time around) some hard candies to eat while working. Then Victor took them to a shop in the middle of Motostoke, and Sonia recognized it as having been the site of an alchemist’s shop in her time. The building was a little more run-down, and now had a sign hanging up that announced it as an herbalist’s shop, but the punch of recognition stopped Sonia in her tracks and made her breathing quicken.

 _This was Laurel’s shop,_ she thought to herself, and a memory of a sweet-faced woman with strawberry blonde hair and light brown eyes showing her how to make a tea to help alleviate menstrual pains almost choked her. _Oh Laurel, all your hard work…._

“Hey, are you all right?” and Victor’s hand was on her shoulder, giving her a little shake and looking concerned. Raihan was standing beside her, the same expression on his face.

“I’m sorry. I just… had a memory. Hit me kind of hard,” she explained, brushing both men off.

“You looked like you saw a ghost,” Victor said, not a trace of his usual good-natured teasing coming out.

“How long has Milo owned this store?”

“Don’t know. You’d have to ask him.”

She would. “Okay. I think I’m better now.”

She walked into the shop without looking back and was surprised to hear a little bell ring as she entered. _Laurel used chimes._

_But this isn’t Laurel’s storefront anymore. Oh god I can’t do this… I have to do it._

It didn’t have the same layout; the counter was now brought forward by about 5 meters, and the storage area was larger than before. All sorts of pharmaceutical and alchemic ingredients were stacked up along the walls. They seemed to be arranged by type and effect. The ones over there were used for medicines, and as she followed the shelves, there was the addition of materials for more and more effective, high-end medications. Some were almost prohibitively expensive. Another wall had materials for spells; there was a huge range of options.

Too bad a lot of what was out wasn’t the best quality.

A young man in his mid-twenties came out from the storage area. He was absolutely huge in build but not in height; Sonia was a hand-span taller, but he looked like he could have given Gordie a run for his money in a Mudsdale-lifting contest. He had brown-red hair and cheerful green eyes that immediately put her at ease.

“Welcome, miss. What can I do you for?”

“I’m looking to purchase a large number of herbs, berries, and other assorted things,” she said.

“What do you have in mind?”

“For starters, I’ll need some energy roots and leaves, a durin berry and its leaves, the egg from a Chansey, and pink fur from an Aromatisse. I’ll take anything even if they’re not processed.”

He blinked at her before regaining himself. “Those are quite specialized items, miss, and expensive to boot. You sure those are the materials you need? I’ve some oran berry extract and isopropyl ether if you’re looking to make your own medicines.”

Was this a test? “No, I’m certain I need what I said. I find that durin berries tend to increase the efficacy of energy root activity particularly for old wounds, in part because they break down keloids and connective tissue while promoting angiogenesis, while oran berries can’t. Chansey eggs aren’t too rare, but I know it’s hard to keep them stable unless you keep them cold, so if you don’t have an icebox, my second go-to place is usually a grocer’s. And I’d settle for purple fur, but pink fur tends to, ah, _appreciate_ – for lack of a better word – when it’s being used in healing medicines more than purple fur does. And, by the way, you’ll want to talk with your supplier about getting you better mints,” she said, tugging at a string of Timid mint hanging from the ceiling. “This was picked way too late in the season. There’s no way you can use them for anything except perfume now.”

Silence in the room; Sonia didn’t look behind herself, but she imagined that both Victor and Raihan were staring at her. The herbalist, however, had a smile that began to broaden as she spoke.

“I don’t think I’ve had a customer like you in a long time,” he said, sounding incredibly happy. “If you give me hot second, I’ll be back with everything you’ve asked for.”

He walked into the storage room and she heard him rifling away.

“That was something else,” Victor said, giving her a friendly slap on the shoulder. “I’ve never seen Milo look so impressed. You weren’t kidding when you said you were a pharmacist.”

Sonia shrugged, now starting to feel embarrassed. Fortunately, Milo came out with a pile of items in his arms to clear the moment.

“So I’ve the durin berry components, energy roots that have already been processed, and some pink Aromatisse fur. Don’t have a Chansey egg, but I know that Eli’s market down the street regularly sells them,” he explained. “Tell me – where’d you get your training? Are you a foreign alchemist? Or a magician?”

“Just a well-trained pharmacist,” she said, looking over the items. Milo’s stock was superb; Sonia would definitely use this place as her go-to for supplies. The stuff he had on the shelves was a red herring to his true quality. “How about you? I’ve not seen Aromatisse fur this thick in, uhm, _years_.”

“Having the Wild Area in our backyard makes it easy to get rare ingredients,” Milo said.

“The quality of these herbs would be good enough for an alchemist,” she casually dropped. “Are _you_ a foreign alchemist?”

Now he let out a self-conscious chuckle. “No, miss, not me. I had an alchemist great-plus-grandmother who used to own this shop. She didn’t survive the Invasion, but her son did, and he turned this into an herbalist shop instead. You could say it runs in the family.”

And now Sonia felt that her heart would burst. Laurel didn’t survive… but her legacy did. Her family was still here. “Oh. No wonder you’re so talented. You must care a lot about plants,” she said, her voice just barely above a whisper.

“If there’s anything else you want, I’d be right happy to help.”

Sonia wrote a list of things she’d need for the Black Charizard job. Milo frowned at the list, mostly in thought rather than frustration, and promised that he’d get the supplies to her by noon tomorrow.

“Also, do you have any vials? Or non-plant items for medicine production?”

“There’s a box of old supplies back here,” Milo said, walking into a dusty corner of the shop, and pulled it out and placed in on the counter. “It’s got some of great-granny’s old alchemy equipment, but no one wants it. I just didn’t want to throw it away, for sentimentality’s sake… but I probably should.”

It was filled with odds and ends that no one else in the city could possibly use, but Sonia started doing mental flips at the thought of using Laurel’s old valuables. “How much?”

“Well… how about 5 silvers for the whole box? And for all the supplies,” he started calculating everything, “40 silvers.”

That was a deal she couldn’t turn down; it would have been double that price in her time. “So affordable, considering your standards,” she mused as she handed over the coins.

“Don’t have to pay for a supplier. Just wander outside and get what people need,” Milo smiled as he took her money. “And no taxes, either. What’s your name, miss?”

“I’m Sonia.”

“Milo,” and they shook hands. “Pleasure working with a professional, if I do say so myself.”

“Same for me. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

She reached over to pick up the box, but Raihan moved first. He grabbed it and held it up on his good shoulder, almost daring her to try and take it from him. She decided to let him do it while she took the potion ingredients and her other bag.

“I’ve never seen anyone match Milo in plant-based knowledge,” Victor said as they headed to the marketplace. “He’s always polite, but usually he can verbally strong-arm people into buying what they need instead of what they want.”

“Oh, Milo is a treasure,” Sonia agreed. “I think it’ll be great having someone like him that I can rely on for supplies.”

They passed by a few vendors, and Victor guided her directly to an older gentleman named Eli who did, indeed, have a cold Chansey egg for sale that she carefully placed in the box. Most people liked to eat them, but they also had inherent healing properties. A good alchemist could make a dozen Super Potions from the egg; a great alchemist could make a dozen Hyper Potions by using the shell, too.

Sonia was hoping to make all the Hyper Potions with a Chansey egg as her base. Today, however, she had a different job for it.

Victor’s stomach let out a gurgle, and he looked a little embarrassed. “So, who’s up for lunch?”

Since they were in the market anyway, the three of them bought some food from a few nearby carts. They bought wooloo kebabs, roasted carrots, fried potato rounds, and lemonade. For dessert, Sonia treated the two men to some chocolate-drenched kee berries on a fluffy vanillin cake. It disappeared in minutes, and she was pleased that the morning’s trip had been so enjoyable (and that Raihan appeared to be suffering no ills from the more complex meal).

Finally, they headed back to the Budew Drop Inn. Sonia offered to take the box from Raihan, concerned for the weight on his still-healing frame, but he kept shaking his head and there was nothing she could do outside of ordering him (which wasn’t going to happen). When they made it back, Gloria was standing in the entrance looking irate.

“I swear to god, if you are trying to get out of cleaning duties, I will end your life,” she said with a glare to her brother.

“Promises, promises,” Victor said right back, then sighed to Sonia. “I’m stuck cleaning for the rest of the day, but if you need help getting around, either Marnie or Hop should be available.”

“Thanks, but I think I’m just going to take it easy,” Sonia said, and she waved for Raihan to take the box upstairs. Then she walked over to Melony. “I’m sorry to bother you, but what’s the strongest spirit you have?”

“Ah. That would be the rum,” she said. “Are you looking to enjoy yourself this afternoon?”

 _I wish_. “I need it for cleaning a wound.”

“Let me pour you a glass. One silver, five coppers, please.”

 _Expensive spirit,_ but she handed it over anyway and Melony poured her a generous amount into a water glass. She carried it in one hand and juggled the remaining ingredients in her other. Fortunately, it was a quick jog up the stairs and right back to her room.

Raihan had placed the box on the table, while Sonia gracelessly dropped her supplies right next to them.

“Phew! Glad that’s over with,” she smiled at him as she locked the door, then stripped off her cloak. “Let’s get all this stuff unpacked, and I can get to work.”

She washed the glass alchemy set in the bathing room with hot water, then sterilized it and brought it back into the main room piece by piece. It took only a few minutes to set up the kit, and once she was done Sonia stroked a finger over the curve of a bottle in fond remembrance.

“My friend Laurel owned this,” she said, talking to Raihan. He was sitting on the bed watching her go through the motions of pulling out the herbs and setting them up. “She was an alchemist from my time. About ten years older than me; married with two boys. I loved sharing tea with her. If you’d ever had her tea, you’d swear it was made of Galar Particles instead of leaves because it always seemed to cure whatever was wrong with me. She always insisted it was made from love, and that’s why it tasted so good.” She paused, letting out a sigh. “Any alchemist worth their salt has an alchemy set like this; it helps with making things in multiple steps, and or making large quantities. Mine was probably destroyed in the Invasion. Laurel’s set is old, but it’s so high-quality it still works. And now I’ll have a part of her every time I make my potions.”

She didn’t really want to cry again so she checked the last things in the box. Laurel had left a handful of potion vials behind, but not enough for sixty Items. _And you can’t just_ buy _the vials since they’re magically made. Guess who’s turning into a glassmaker tomorrow? Yes, indeed, it will be me._ Laurel also left behind some processed seeds, roots, and leaves that no longer had labels; Sonia would have to figure out what was inside, and that would take time.

But there was one potion she needed to jump on. She looked at Raihan, asking, “Sleep?” in case he wanted the break.

He shook his head. “ _Naa_. _Sonia_ _khern_.” He gestured to his eyes, then to her.

 _Watch? I suppose that’s fine._ “Stay there, please,” she gestured, and he nodded.

The hardest thing about making this potion wasn’t the complicated juggling of temperature, speed, or the eggshell addition. No, it was the fact that she had to add a very constant amount of Galar Particles to the potion to keep up its potency; otherwise, it would come out as a half-assed version of her intended potion. If she were in anything less than top health, she wouldn’t have enough energy to make this particular Item.

Good thing she felt great after the bath and the food. **“Galar Particles,”** and she created a globe of particles about the size of two fists.

 **“Form transmutation vessel. Galar Particles,”** and she began to pull a small string of Particles into the vessel, as if the two were connected by a spider’s thread. Then, once the vessel was lightly shimmering with energy, she added the Aromatisse fur first. **“Centrifuge.”** As it was spinning, she tossed in the dried durin berry. As they spun apart, she slowly began increasing the temperature inside the vessel until the Aromatisse fur, which was extremely sensitive to temperature, began to disintegrate. Once that happened, she slowed the spin and said, **“Crumble.”** A fine pink powder was produced, and she began to slowly add the rum via magic. She added about half the glass very quickly, and then started slowly adding more drop by drop. The powder disintegrated into the rum until she had a nice pink liquid. One final drop, and it turned clear again and started to carefully bubble from the heat. She held it in place and detached the Galar Particles.

“Part one, complete,” she said with satisfaction, leaving the transmutation vessel floating and spinning in air while she turned to the pre-treated energy root. “Now comes the harder part. **Shred. Form transmutation vessel. Aqua ring. Galar Particles. Add shreds.”** She then put the energy root water inside one of the glass jugs, flipped it upside down, and connected it to the extraction vessel. With great care, she added the Aromatisse fur-and-rum solvent into the extraction vessel and closed the stopcock. The rum would evaporate if she wasn’t careful about the temperature, and she didn’t breathe easy until she had stoppered the vessel.

Then she proceeded to add the energy root water through a spritzer, keeping the temperature hot but not boiling. The ingredients mixed themselves up in the extraction vessel very slowly, and she took the time to carefully carve a circle the size of a silver coin out of the Chansey eggshell. But she had to be careful not to pull any of the albumin with it, or the potion wouldn’t dissolve the shell. Even though it wasn’t the hardest part, it was certainly the most delicate, and she literally held her breath as she gently pulled it off with magic and a pair of needle-thin pliers that were with Laurel’s set.

It came apart in bits, which was fine because it could dissolve faster that way, and Sonia was mentally cheering herself on as she saw the albumin still on the egg. She threw the shell pieces into the beaker under the extraction vessel. Finally, when she felt she had enough, she slowly decreased the temperature and opened the bottom stopcock so a little of the solution could fall into the beaker. It hissed as it contacted the eggshell and started to turn a dark yellow color. Drop by drop she added some until the beaker was halfway full, then she closed the stopcock and added additional Galar Particles to the fluid. With a little more magic stirring, to ensure that there were no bits of eggshell undissolved, she finally condensed and anchored the potion into an alchemy bottle that Laurel had left behind. A quick cold-spell on the egg as the final step; she’d need it for tomorrow.

Then she took a dramatic seat on the chair and said, “Finally!”

Raihan said, in a quiet whisper, “Ahh.” By the look on his face, he was impressed.

She felt pretty pleased with herself, too. Still, she wasn’t the person who needed to use it. “Drink it.”

“ _Che_?”

“Drink.”

He looked at her like she was crazy, but Sonia would have none of it. She stood up and physically carried it to him, shoving it into his face. “The potency decreases after ten minutes. Hurry up.”

He took the bottle, closed his eyes, and down the whole thing in one large swallow. He then let out a slightly strangled sound, and Sonia jumped backwards to give him breathing room. It wasn’t that he was in pain, per se; it was more likely that his body was overwhelmed by the sensation of becoming “new” again. Also, she made it with high-grade concentrated rum, so that would make _anyone_ cough.

She couldn’t see what was happening because he was wearing clothes, but she had a good idea. There should be disintegration of collagenous scar tissue and improved growth of normal, revitalized skin, bringing comfort back to his own body. The adhesions in his shoulder and hip should have also been dissolved, allowing full range of motion once again, and any hidden internal injuries he was likely to have suffered were healed up. Bone fractures should have mended, with neuro-regeneration taking place at the same time. The effects of starvation should be mitigated, though his muscle mass would have to be regained through healthy eating and activity.

Finally, the magic of the Full Restore seemed to have done all it could do, and the effect faded away. Raihan sat up on the bed, touching his chest, then shoulder, looking like he couldn’t believe that he didn’t hurt. Then he stood up and walked around, rolling his shoulders, touching his ears, looking down his pants ( _what the fuck did they do to him?!_ ), moving into odd positions that looked a little like dancing moves before he pulled off his shirt to look at everything. From the back, Sonia was happy that the scars he had before were all long-gone. However, they managed to leave his tattoos untouched. _Damn, I’m good!_

When he turned around, his eyes wide and shocked and shimmering with something like hope, she was thrilled to see that all the wounds were healed … except the slave brand. It looked years old, raised and light brown against the darker background, but to Sonia it was still ugly.

 _Fuck, it didn’t work_ , she thought angrily to herself. She walked over and touched the mark. “Raihan, I’m sorry. I was hoping that it would-”

And he grabbed her face in his hands and his lips crashed on hers, and since she was in the middle of talking her mouth was open and his tongue just slipped right in and _oh my god_ he was kissing her so vigorously that she almost couldn’t stand up, was getting pushed back until her knees hit the bed and she couldn’t keep her balance, falling back onto it and feeling her heart jump out her throat. But then he was on top of her, hands on either side of her head, pressing into her with the weight of his body. Despite being underweight, he was still _way_ bigger than her and she couldn’t move, could barely breathe as he kissed her again, kissed her like he was drinking from a well of holy water, kissed her like she was made of fresh honey that he could lick right off the honeycomb.

He tasted like rum, like spiced tea, and suddenly Sonia wanted to chase the flavor. Desperately needed to know if the rest of him tasted so good. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pushed her lips against his mouth, her hips into his torso. Without breaking the kiss he grabbed her wrists in his hands, pinning her down and sending an unexpected but very enjoyable flush through her lower stomach. They were probably making noise, but she couldn’t hear anything over the sound of Raihan’s harsh breathing and her own heartbeat. Then he was pushing her legs apart with a knee and there was no question about where he intended to go next.

“Raihan,” she finally gasped out, turning her head to the side. “Raihan, wait!”

He growled something Pasaari into her neck before biting down and sucking. The sound she let out was so erotic, even to her own ears, that she bit her lip and he let out a groan.

“Raihan,” she tried again. “Look at me. Corn? _Khern_!”

Her use of the word caught his attention, and she was now able to meet his eyes. Gods, his pupils were blown so wide there was only faintest ring of green in them. “Sonia,” followed by another string of Pasaari that she had no hope of understanding. She did, however, hear the plea in his voice, and the gratitude that he was almost bleeding through his skin.

When he was done, she said, “I help you.” She pulled one of her hands out from under his so she could point. “Sonia helps Raihan. Because it’s right. Because I can. And this,” she now pointed at the slave mark, “I’ll break it. Just… please be patient while I figure out how.”

More Pasaari, but there was passion coloring his words as he reached up and brushed his thumb against her lips. Then he took her chin in his hand and took her lips again, almost tenderly this time, and her kisses matched his in warmth.

 _We could probably do this all day,_ she thought inanely as she ran her hand up his neck and down his back. He shivered under her fingers, the newly healed skin with newly responsive nerve endings enjoying the attention, but when she felt something pressing against her leg, Sonia decided to let her brain bring her body under control. Not because she wanted to stop, but because the longer they kissed and touched, the more she felt the weight of expectations on her shoulders. Outside of the initial gratefulness for the healing, she didn’t know why he felt so at ease touching and kissing a woman who was supposed to own him, supposed to be the villain – and that was troubling. When she pulled away, she put the tips of her fingers to his lips.

“No,” she said softly. “I… I think, until I can really talk with you, we can’t go any farther. I can’t take advantage of you. Besides,” and she turned her gaze, “I’ve only known you a day. This is really fast.”

He obviously disagreed, given the furrowed brow and the way he gently bit a finger with his fang, but he pulled back and offered her his hand. She took it, still shaken up, and took her hair out of the ponytail before putting it back up as a way to regain her bearings.

“So!” she said, a little too loudly, and then cleared her throat. “I think I need to talk with Hop soon. Let’s clean everything up, then we’ll go looking for him.”

Raihan tossed his shirt back on, and he figured out quickly enough what Sonia needed help with. With his energy improved from the Full Restore, it was evident that he also had access to lifestyle magics, though he obviously preferred fire over the other elements. He was able to wash out the glassware while she cleaned up the herbs and put away the Chansey egg.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Sonia said as he brought the glass for her to sterilize. “Raihan, are you an alchemist?”

He frowned, pointing to himself. “ _Nev almirno jir_. Not alchemist.”

 _I wonder who he was before this,_ she thought, not for the first time. Well, she’d find out in time, though she asked simple questions for now. “Your magic – very good!” She pointed at him, then sprinkled her fingers in the air, letting a little wind magic dance through her fingers. “How?”

Now he was grasping for words, looking frustrated that he couldn’t properly explain himself, until he started drawing circles with fire in the air. “ _Maadir_. _Pehdir_.” A line of fire between them, then branching down into four lines. He pointed to one on the end. “ _Raihan_.”

“Your mother and father, and you!”

He drew three more circles. “ _Zenaheh. Samir. Nasreen_.”

_His siblings._

“ _Nasreen almirna je_.”

_Nasreen is the alchemist. Pasaar has alchemists, too, though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I wonder if she taught him magic._

She opened her mouth to ask a question about his family, but the way he looked at the little family tree with such solemnity made her realize that this was not the time. She let the question die in her throat.

 _Where are they now? Probably nowhere good if he was in slavery. Oh, Raihan, I’m so sorry._ “I’m sorry,” she said aloud, and he waved his hand in the air and let the fire disappear.

They finished cleaning the equipment in silence, and once Sonia had put the pieces back together so she could use it tomorrow, they headed over to Hop’s room.

There was work to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (07/20/2020): God, these two give me life! Their interactions are just going to keep getting better and better.
> 
> So I have obviously been chugging away at this story, at the expense of the other two. I promise I will get back to them as soon as possible. That being said, I'm taking a week-long vacation with my family so there won't be any updates next week. I hope this can tide everyone over for a little while, at least.


	4. Vessel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 4: “So the Suppression Forces require potions when they go monster hunting in the Wild Area or against the Power Spot monsters.”  
> “Precisely.”  
> “But the only place they can get the potions in bulk is from the Rose family, who are bastards and overcharge for shitty potions.”  
> “Yup.”  
> “… and now, me.”
> 
> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No musical accompaniment for this chapter.
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh for being my beta-reader. Hopefully the stuff I send you in the future will have a lesser chance of being cursed lol.

She knocked on his door. “Hi, it’s Sonia.”

“Come on in!” came the cheerful voice from the other side.

Both her and Raihan entered, and Leon was already there chatting with his brother. “Nice to see you again,” Leon said, then glanced up at Raihan. “Quite a different person you have with you now.”

Sonia wasn’t certain how to answer that without sounded either snappish or self-congratulatory, so she said, “I’m happy to help whoever needs it. Hop had wanted me to stop by so we can discuss the contracts.”

“I was just going to go look for you,” he said, sitting down at a small table. There were papers on the table, and Sonia took a seat on the couch. Leon took a seat on a third chair. Raihan stood behind Sonia, keeping mute like before.

“I’d like to keep this contract between the three – or four – of us for the time being. If the other members of the Corps require this information, I’d like permission to tell them,” Hop started, now becoming serious.

“I want to make that choice when it becomes necessary.”

“I’ll do my best to ask ahead of time, but I can’t promise I’ll be able to.” 

Not that she didn’t like Victor and the others, but she just didn’t know them well enough to be certain of their reaction. On the other hand, emergencies happened and if she needed help, then she needed help. “I give you permission, but please try your best to tell me first.”

“Of course! Now, if you don’t mind reading through this for any concerns, we’d be glad to wait,” he said, handing her a large sheaf of paper.

Sonia wasn’t big on business or finances, but she had to run her own alchemy shop all those years ago and she knew something about investments, taxes, and other things that got in the way of Item crafting. This contract was almost as well done as the one she’d previously had with the Wedgehurst Merchants Guild. Hop clearly outlined her requests with paragraphs explaining both her expected duties against the Black Charizard Freight Corps responsibilities.

When she got to a page that generally outlined Potions and other Items, she noticed that there were no given prices. Instead, they simply said ‘Market Price’. “What does this mean”

“This document is our magical contract, which has relative permanence unless we go before the court to have it adjusted. So I can’t predict what the cost of a Super Potion will be ten years from now; we just have to state ‘Market Price’. It might be fifteen silvers, or it might be fifteen gold at that time.”

Leon held up a different set of documents. “These pages are for the request we placed yesterday. They will have prices listed because it’s a specific sale at a specific time, which we _can_ predict.”

Sonia riffled through the contract until she came to a section on rare Items. Things like Max Potions, Max Repels, and even rarer Elixirs and Full Restores were listed but had no price. “Why is this blank? Same ‘Market Price’ situation?”

Both men looked at each other. “If you could get your hands on Elixirs or Max Potions, you’d be a godsend,” Leon said gravely. “Many of these Items are so rare as to be essentially priceless. Even the Rose family don’t seem to have any of them.”

Well that was a name that Sonia hadn’t expected to hear. “Isn’t that the same name of the slave trader?”

“Yes,” Leon nodded. “Florent Rose the current head of the Rose family, who supplies the majority of potions to Motostoke and the southern Galar region. He keeps his fingers in a multitude of business pies, which is why he was working such a low-brow job of buying slaves, but his brother Coriander runs the potion side.”

Now Sonia put two and two together. Back in her time, the Rose family had been the main conglomerate of Motostoke when it came to alchemy. They were vicious in buying out smaller businesses or using violent means to drive non-familial alchemists away. It was why Sonia, who had no lack of talent when it came to Item crafting, had sold her Potions in middle-of-nowhere Wedgehurst; she didn’t have the means to fight against the Rose family. Nessa’s store was in Hulbury, and Laurel supplemented her income by selling non-alchemical items like tea and accessories, so they both escaped the Rose family’s machinations.

 _But still. Fuck them._ “They still have Potions to sell?”

“Well…,” and Hop scratched the back of his head. “It’s complicated. They had some saved up from before the Wild Area Invasion, and they’ve been selling them for decades. But within the last decade the potions have become less effective, probably due to age, and still charging the same. And within the last three years, they became wildly variable in efficacy.”

“It’s unethical,” Leon said, crossing his arms and frowning. “They gouge prices for what they’ve got, forcing the Wild Area Suppression Forces to pay more than they can really afford.”

“Pretend I’m not from Motostoke,” Sonia said. “What’s that mean?”

“The Wild Area Suppression Forces are a group of professional Adventurers who are affiliated with the Adventurers Guild. They aren’t mercenaries; more like a private army under the Mayor of Motostoke, who also happens to be the head of the Suppression Forces. But ultimately, the Suppression Forces report to the Crown,” Leon said, and Hop followed with, “Their job is to help prevent the Wild Area from growing further into the city and making it safe for people to travel both north and south. They also work to regularly clear the Motostoke Power Spot of any monsters that happen to get caught inside, which is more frequent than anyone wants.”

The Motostoke Power Spot was physically within the walls of Motostoke. Monsters appearing there and left unchecked could be devastating to the city, and when the Invasion happened, it had likely been filled with monsters and subsequently destroyed, ultimately leading to the loss of Motostoke’s alchemists. “So the Suppression Forces require potions when they go monster hunting in the Wild Area or against the Power Spot monsters.”

“Precisely.”

“But the only place they can get the potions in bulk is from the Rose family, who are bastards and overcharge for shitty potions.”

“Yup.”

“… and now, me.”

Both men nodded. Oh, this was becoming bigger than she really wanted. _Double fuck_. “I’m guessing that the potions you requested a few days ago weren’t for yourselves.”

Leon shook his head. “We plan on selling most of them to the Suppression Forces at a much better price than what the Rose family charges.”

“And you still intend to keep my involvement a secret?”

Hop pointed to a paragraph on the paper. “No question.”

Because going against the Rose family was _not_ something she felt like tackling; hence why her initial decision to be discreet was still proving to be a good idea. Sonia took a few more minutes to scan the contract before putting it down. “I will do what I can to help you. I’ll get you the Potions and Items you want. Where do I sign?”

Both men grinned broadly, and Sonia couldn’t help but smile back at their infectious joy. All three signed their names in ink, pressed a fingerprint of blood onto the final page, and with a small shimmer of blood magic, the contract was sealed.

Then they pulled out the current contract; much shorter and easier to read. The total payment would end up being twelve golds and seventy-five silvers for all 60 Items, which was absolutely blowing Sonia’s mind, but she was thrilled at the prospect of having her own business again. They signed these papers in ink, and the serious atmosphere dissolved away.

“It will be a pleasure working with you,” Hop said, shaking her hand. “We really appreciate your hard work.”

“And with you two,” she agreed, now shaking hands with Leon. He held her gaze for a few seconds, then his eyes dipped to the side and he frowned. “Is something the matter?”

“Did you hit something?” At her blank stare, he continued. “You have a bruise on your neck,” and reached over to touch her.

Sonia’s hand flew up and covered the mark. Behind her, Raihan was coughing and _damn the man he could see it the whole time!_ “I wasn’t paying attention and hit my shoulder against something. I’ll ice it later.”

“Take care of yourself,” Leon said, still frowning. “A shame to mar such lovely skin.”

Hop sighed. “Lee, if you’re going to court her like that, please do it when I’m not around.”

Now it was Leon’s turn to flush, and Sonia wished she could sink into the floor. Alas, no magic holes appeared, and she said, “I’d better get going. I’ll bring the potions and repels here on EarthDay.”

“Come join us for dinner later tonight,” Leon said. “We can have a toast. To new friends and endeavors.”

Sonia smiled. “I’d like that.” She was halfway to the door when she remembered something. “Oh, I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“Is there a library around? Or bookstores?”

The brothers looked at each other. “I think the only library in town belongs to the Motostoke School System, so I’d go there first. As for bookstores, I suppose it depends on what you want to read about,” Leon said.

“Languages.”

Hop made the connection first, and he glanced up at Raihan. “I’d suggest talking to Rose. He’s the only person I know who has more than a passing understanding of Pasaari. Otherwise, there’s a bookstore on the first level of Motostoke that’s the largest in the city and might be helpful.”

 _Rose knows Pasaari? And still beat Raihan even though he himself was capable of being understood? Oh, that ass!_ “Thanks for the advice. I’ll head over now.”

“We’ll see you at dinner.”

The duo headed back to her room, and after shutting the door she tossed up a quick, **“Soundproof”** before diving into a rant. “No! No way! That awful man cannot be the only person in this whole damn city that can speak Pasaari! I absolutely refuse to believe it! I refuse to go begging to him for advice!”

_Except that he might also know how to break Slave Contracts._

“FUUUUUUCK!” she yelled again into the air as loud as she could. Her breath was coming out in angry puffs as she paced back and forth, muttering a variety of curses that would have made even Nessa go wide-eyed.

Finally, worn out and tired, she collapsed onto her chair and groaned.

“Sonia?” Raihan asked, looking oddly timid, and stopped talking when she held up a hand.

“Don’t. Not right now. Give me a minute to get my brain in working condition.”

She stood up and stretched, rolled her head around, pulled out her high ponytail, and reset it low on her neck so that it covered the mark that Raihan had so generously left behind, and finally sat down like a proper lady. Then she gestured for him to take a seat on the bed.

“I know you won’t understand everything I’m about to say, but I need to get it out. The things I need to do this week are as follows,” and she began ticking them off her fingers, “Craft at least a hundred potion vials, craft 60 Items, bring them to the Black Charizard group, go talk to Rose, figure out how to learn Pasaari, how to break the Slave Contract, start looking for a house because we can’t stay here the whole time, talk to the Merchants Guild, get a permit for opening a pharmacy, and get a building that will be the actual pharmacy.” She looked at her hands, all ten fingers splayed open, and groaned into her hands.

 _Having some fun would have been a great release from all this._ She peeked out through her fingers at Raihan; he mostly looked concerned for her mental well-being. _Calm yourself, Sonia. Like Nessa said, don’t fuck a man who isn’t free to say no._

She sat up and looked him dead in the eye because she needed to know where their baseline conversation abilities lay. “Raihan, do you speak any Galarian?” she touched her mouth. “Talk?”

Sonia expected he might know a few words, given his time in Galar, and he made a half-shrug motion. She pressed the point. “What do you know?”

He was hesitant as he went through words, gesturing as appropriate. “You. Me. Help. Work. Magic.” He paused. “Master. Mistress. Slave.” He moved to more neutral words. “Eat, food. Drink, water. Stop. Fast. Yes. No. Thank you.”

That was helpful but didn’t exactly make a basis for meaningful conversation. Sonia was going to have to do something she didn’t want to do.

“Okay,” she nodded. “All right, I’m going to go out and I don’t want you coming with because it’s too dangerous. Stay here. Rest.”

She grabbed her bag and cloak, then removed the spell from the walls. “I’ll be back by dinner,” and she headed out before he could follow. She passed by Piers and Gordie, offering a friendly wave before heading onto the main street.

It was well into the afternoon and there were plenty of people walking around, enough so that Sonia could get lost in the crowd. And she let herself get dragged down the street until she found herself back at the slave trader’s post. She walked into the building, and one of the inspectors was sitting there at the desk.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked.

“I’m here to speak with Mister Rose.”

“And who might you be?”

“Sonia. I wanted to talk about slaves with him.”

The woman let out a bored sigh. “Give me a moment,” and she headed into the back room. Minutes later, both Rose and the woman came out.

“Miss Sonia,” he said, reaching out to take her hand. She offered it to him, and he shook it, then pulled her in for a kiss on the cheek. She pretended not to hate it as he guided her into his office. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“I was wondering if we could talk about my slave for a few minutes. The Pasaari man I purchased.”

“Is there a problem? Do you need disposal service?”

“No. It’s more… I want to communicate with him. I don’t have enough funds to buy another slave, but I think he might be useful for low-physical, moderate-intelligence work,” and gods, it was awful to talk about Raihan like this. “Do you have any books to help me understand him, or help him understand me?”

“Well, some spells of hypnosis do not require the target to understand language for the spell to work but would essentially make them mechanical in action. Would that be of interest?”

“No, my work is complicated. I think he’s capable of helping me, but I’d rather not have him made mindless.”

“If you are interested, I do have a collection of Pasaari words and phrases that you’d be welcome to use. It’s not a book, per se, but the men who travel to Pasaar for cargo pick-up have found it useful. I can have it copied very quickly.”

“That would be lovely. How much?” because she didn’t want to leave this deal owing him anything.

“I think two coppers would be reasonable,” he said, and Sonia immediately pulled them out of her purse. “You are going to extreme levels for this slave, though. Why?”

Sonia was baldly honest. “I don’t like waste. There’s no such thing as a part of a plant, an animal, a monster, or even a human that can’t be used in making medicines. I won’t waste my three silvers, even if I have to spend a little more to get something out of it.”

“Quite the pragmatist, aren’t you?” he said with a chuckle. “I like that. I like you, Miss Sonia. It really is a pity that you’re not in the market for more slaves. I’d be willing to sell you some of my higher priced wares.”

“I am having enough trouble with one, I don’t think I’ll ever need more,” and she was given inspiration handed on a platter. “But if I did, and the slave came with a Slave Contract, how do you break it?”

“Most are life-long,” he said, pulling whatever papers he needed from his desk before handing them off to the same woman as before. “Either the death of the master or slave will break it. Otherwise, if the slave was released for a different reason, we will simply replace it. The slave doesn’t even need re-branding, just a re-application of the Contract via a different master.”

“There’s no breaking it from the master’s side?”

“It essentially involves rejection of the slave, which more often than not ends up being fatal. Hence why using branding is uncommon, and most owners prefer to use property-based seals for large groups of slaves.”

 _Shit._ She knew that there was a chance of getting no good answer from Rose, but the reality was still unpleasant. “Fascinating insight.”

“You are quite unusual, Miss Sonia. I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

“I’m a bit of a wanderer,” she shrugged. “A pharmacist by trade, though I’ve never wanted to make a home until I came here to Motostoke. I hope the city will be good to me.”

“Despite its proximity to the Wild Area, Motostoke is a fine place to live. If you are looking for employment, I could pull a few strings with the Guilds. Have you considered working for the Rose family? We could pay you well.”

Sonia smiled. “You are truly kind, but I’ve not even showed you my skills. Come on by when I’ve got a shop set up.”

He returned the smile like she offered him a challenge. “Then I shall make it a point to visit. Do come back and visit, though – I feel I’d enjoy discussing other topics with you.”

“I’m hoping to become a busy woman soon enough, but I’ll remember your offer.”

“Oleana will give you the papers,” he said, standing up and cordially letting her out. She received a packet of magically copied papers from the long-haired woman and walked out without a backwards glance.

Now that she had something to start with, she decided to go to the bookstore. She remembered how to get down to the first level, and right on the street perpendicular to the second level was a large store that hadn’t existed in her time. Her heart leapt up in excitement, and she proceeded to get lost in the shelves for far too long.

She came back to the Inn an hour later, carrying a few packages in her hands from her trip. She knocked on the door to the room, even though she had the key, and immediately said, “I’m coming in.”

Raihan had been laying down, likely napping, but he jumped to his feet as she came in. “Relax. Have a present.” She pulled out a pair of black sleeping trousers for him and tossed a plain yellow nightgown for herself on the bed. She also visited at the clothing store on the way back. “This way neither of us will scandalize each other.”

“Thank you.” He took a look at hers – light cotton, rounded neck, down to the knees – before giving her a smile that toed the line between amused and mischievous, and Sonia had to distract herself specifically with pulling out books from her bag.

One was a book on language acquisition; Galar had connections to other countries including Hoenn, Kalos, and Unova, so there was no scarcity of teaching material for broad-spectrum learning. The second was on the recent history of Galar. Given her lack of context, she figured it’d be a good idea to figure out what the hell happened since she fell asleep. She also got a blank spellbook with easy-tear paper, and a pen with charged ink for drawing TMs along with a non-magical pen for notes. The last book was extremely thin – barely thirty pages – but Sonia nearly did backflips when she saw it.

It was a book on the Pasaari alphabet with translations to the Galarian alphabet. Combined with the pages that she received from Rose, Sonia hoped that she would at least be able to help both of them learn enough to communicate. When she showed it to Raihan, his eyes went wide, and he started reading through the pages and reading aloud.

“I’m really excited about that one. I don’t think I’ll be able to study with any meaningful intent until after things settle down, but it might be fun,” she said, then sniffed the air. Hosea’s cooking was starting to waft up into the second floor, and Sonia realized how hungry she was.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

“It’s Leon. Would you two like to join us for dinner?”

“Absolutely!” She gestured for Raihan to follow, and he put the book down with some reluctance. There were only a few people downstairs, with the dinner rush not having started yet, but Hop, Victor, and Gloria were already at the same table as before. Leon and Sonia took a seat across from them, but Raihan just stood behind her.

 _He is going to make me do this, isn’t he? Fine, then._ “Sit down. People can pick the fight with me.”

Since they had a bench rather than chairs, Sonia scooted closer to Leon and Raihan carefully perched himself on her other side. “Sorry for getting so close.”

“No need to worry,” Leon said with genuine warmth. “We’re all friends here. And speak of which,” and he gestured to Melony, who came on by. “We would like two bottles of champagne and ten glasses.”

“My my, you’re being quite a big spender this evening,” she smiled at Leon. “What’s the occasion?”

He looked at Sonia and Raihan, then said, “A celebration of sorts.”

Melony tapped her lip. “Perhaps you’d like our new qualot dev-Oneir. It’s got a gentle sweetness but a little touch of spice. It will be particularly good with the dinner for today. It’s a choice between seared Goldeen with cracked peppercorn, or Sharpedo steak in an herb-butter broth.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“I’ll have Miranda come by and take your orders when everyone arrives.”

And soon enough Sonia watched the rest of the team flow in, conversations picking up and changing by the minute as the group talked about different things. Finally, Melony and Miranda brought the bottles of champagne and deftly poured a glass for everyone.

“Something exciting happen today?” Piers asked, running a finger over the glass’s rim. “You’re usually not so free with the liquor.”

“Indeed, yes,” he said. “You all know Sonia and her assistant Raihan – they’re going to be working with us from now on. So, a toast! To new friends, good health, and successful endeavors.”

“Cheers,” and Sonia happily threw back her first spirit since waking up.

Turned out, she could still throw back more than her fair share, and once dinner was over she bought the table a round of whisky that knocked out the five youngest members of the Black Charizard group and sent Gordie to bed with a groggy ‘good night’. That left only Leon, Piers, Raihan, and herself all sitting in the dining room, talking and joking and having a good time like it was something they did on a weekly basis. She found out that Leon and Piers were the oldest two members of the Corps, and while Hop was Leon’s lieutenant, Piers was his troubleshooter.

“I see trouble. I shoot it,” he said with no small amount of sarcasm.

“I thought you were a magician.”

“I am. I just shoot it with dark magic. Few things say ‘please go away’ like a Night Slash to the forehead.”

They were so easy to talk to, so easy to drink with. She could forget _when_ she was and pretend that her life was exactly what she wanted from it.

She somehow made it back to the room with Raihan, though she had to lean on him for stability. He helped her take off her shoes as she pulled her hair down, and her balance went to shit and she fell back into her bed.

“Thanks, Raihan,” she slurred at him, rolling over. “I haven’t drank like that in… uhm, I guess 200 years. Funny, huh? Still got it, though. Bet I could have drank you and the other guys under the table if we went after another round.”

She closed her eyes and listened to him shuffle through the room. She peeked open an eye and caught him as he was tying up the sleeping trousers. He had forgone any shirt, and Sonia let out a small sigh as she closed them again.

_Gods, he’s handsome. I wonder if he’d kiss me again once I break the contract. Probably not. He’ll probably go home to Pasaar, which he should, and find someone else. And I’ll be alone again…._

And if she thought that someone tucked her into bed, well, Sonia just chalked it up to a drunken dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (08/17/2020): I do have the bad habit of making Sonia drink copiously to deal with her problems in all of my stories. To be fair, she's under quite a bit of stress because I am a very mean writer. And nothing like a wall of exposition to set the stage, but there is quite a bit happening here that will play into future events. There will be more action in future chapters, I swear.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's been reading along. Your presence and comments give me life. 🤍


	5. Vials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 5: She was in the process of putting everything in groups for different Items when someone knocked on the door. “Come in.”
> 
> It was Leon. “This looks like important work,” he said, glancing at all the piles of plants.
> 
> “Just getting things together for my medicines. Is there something I can help you with?”
> 
> “Actually, I’m here for Raihan.”
> 
> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No musical accompaniment
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh for beta-reading this chapter and giving me feedback. She's been really wonderful despite all the Real Life problems that are plaguing humans.

“So damn early,” Sonia groaned to herself, leaning against Raihan’s back. “Fuck me for drinking that much and not having enough supplies for making a Potion.”

Raihan, to his credit, seemed relatively unaffected by all the alcohol from last night. He had helped her borrow a nice, strong Mudsdale that could carry both of them and her equipment and sat in front so she could use his shadow as protection and his body as support. He rode like a professional, like he’d been riding since he was a kid, and Sonia didn’t have it in her still-muddled brain to ask how he gained such skills.

The best she could do for now was to direct him towards the Wild Area, particularly towards the Motostoke Riverbank, so she could find all the supplies needed for her craft. Normally people would have been jumping in front of her to keep from heading into the Wild Area unprotected, but the extra Repel she’d created the day prior was doing a bang-up job of keeping all the monsters away. This trip would be a breeze.

“Sonia.”

“Hm?”

“Victor.”

She pulled out her hand-held mirror and pretended to check her hair. Yup, there he was, hidden in the shadows. Slick as a Goomy, that’s for sure; Sonia would never have noticed him if Raihan hadn’t said anything.

“Thanks for the warning. Here, give this to the Mudsdale to eat,” and she handed him three pieces of paper with the magical TMs of Safeguard, Façade, and Substitute drawn on them. Raihan handed it over, and once the Mudsdale ate it, the three of them disappeared. One minute they were walking over the bridge, the next they had disappeared into thin air with no evidence of them having ever been around. Sonia was deeply satisfied to hear the young man mutter, “Shit, they’re gone,” before turning around and heading back into Motostoke.

_Sorry, Victor, but you can’t be privy to this._

Fifteen minutes later, they stopped near the edge of a small lake in Bridge Field. “This is good. I think we can get everything we need from around here,” she said, dismounting and letting out a groan as it wiggled her brain around. “But first – a Potion!”

A nearby bush offered some persim berries, and a tree of sitrus berries was vigorously growing nearby. She plucked everything she needed and pulled a small bag with the unused iapapa seeds from the previous day. It took almost no thought to make the potion, and she was able to fill up two more of Laurel’s old bottles. One good swig, and her hangover was instantly cured.

 _Ahhh, that’s better_ , she sighed, then held the rest out to Raihan. “You need a boost?”

He shrugged and took the rest, then let out his own sigh of satisfaction. Huh, maybe the alcohol hit him harder than she thought. She gathered additional sitrus berry components and dried them out for later use; almost all her Potions required sitrus berry in some form or fashion.

Finally, she looked around and tried to figure out what Raihan could help with. Again, he wasn’t a stupid man, but she wished there were an easier way for them to communicate than vague hand gestures or silly miming games. There wasn’t much time in the day for nonsense.

 _Well, as Gran always said, when you have too many things to do, pick the first thing and do it._ “Raihan?”

“Yes?”

“Help me get some sand.”

She grabbed one of the sacks and took him to an area nearly opposite of their camp, which was right next to a gully. Over here, the sand had been worn down so well that it was much finer than the opposite side. However, it was also far less stable for the impromptu stone furnace that she was going to have to build. She showed him the texture she was looking for, then gestured to have him fill up six bags of sand. Without further prodding, he went right to work.

Sonia herself went back to the Mudsdale and began removing the equipment so that Raihan could use it for transport. In the meantime, she found an area that felt stable under her feet and began to build a makeshift furnace.

 **“Rock Tomb,”** and from deep in the ground she began pulling up stones that were twice the size of her fist until she had a stove with an opening near the bottom for firewood, and a second opening right above for a crucible. She sealed the cracks with **“Tar Shot”** , and then gave it a quick once-over before nodding in satisfaction.

_Now I need firewood. A lot of it. Raihan can help me with that, too._

Six times he brought back a sack of fine sand, pouring it out near her furnace, and Sonia was thrilled with the consistency he found. They would definitely make high quality vials. While she sent him off to cut down some firewood with steel magic, she dehydrated the sand, mixed it with stardust and powdered Wishing Pieces, and finally infused the whole thing with Galar Particles.

After Raihan returned with a few cords of wood, they settled down to eat some sandwiches for lunch. Once she started the fire, there would be no time to stop and relax, so she ate a little more than usual. There wasn’t really much to talk about, but Sonia appreciated the company while she completed the rather tedious task set before her.

“Just relax,” she told him, and Raihan leaned against the Mudsdale’s legs as he watched her work. She set the fire and started burning some wood to start it up, and placed the crucible with a vial’s worth of sand inside the oven along with a second crucible for making the stopper. The crucibles had also been Laurel’s; more memories made real. Finally, she threw the TM for Will-o-Wisp along with some of her own Galar Particles as a spark.

**“Summon Fire Spirit.”**

She was hoping to get a Carkol, though even a Rolycoly would have been better than nothing. Instead, she was shocked to see a Charmander curled up within the firebox, its tail happily burning away while it ate the proffered wood.

“Holy hellfire,” she whispered. “I thought you guys were big-name Spirits, not common visitors to rinky-dink alchemists like me.”

The Charmander opened its mouth, and she immediately threw in another spark of her magic. It ate it up, and the temperature inside the oven jumped from hot to molten.

“Well, if you don’t mind working with a girl like me, I’m happy to meet you,” she said, pulling out the crucible and magically pouring the sand mixture into a Transformation Vessel that would be the mold for vials. “Let’s get to it!”

And for the next three-plus hours, Sonia made almost four hundred potion vials and stoppers. It was not quite a perfect system, but she had a dozen different Vessels set up, and would drop the cooled vial from the first Vessel before pouring the molten glass in its place. Raihan would then sweep up the finished vials and pack them away. She gave up sparks of her own energy to keep the Charmander happy as he took over the management of the firewood. Raihan looked equally astounded to see the little fire-lizard but would talk to it while handing over new cuts of wood for it to use up. The spirit seemed happy with the attention, unaffected by the dual languages, and kept up the temperature with almost mechanical precision. The only reason they stopped was because there was no more tempered sand left to use, and Sonia let the fire die out. Good thing, too; she was starting to feel the loss of her own magic harder than usual.

“Thank you again for coming,” she grinned weakly, tossing the Charmander one last Galar Particle along with some of her magic. It happily swallowed it, then flicked its burning tail at her before disappearing into the ashes. She barely managed to get hand up in time to catch something.

It was a glass ring, shining in fire-red tones, and fit exactly right on her middle finger. “What do you think, Raihan?” she grinned at him. “Maybe I should be a Fire Magician, huh?”

He took her hand, looking at the ring from all angles, before saying something in Pasaari that sounded vaguely dismissive. It shouldn’t have surprised Sonia; fire seemed to be his preferred element, and she probably looked like a kid dabbling in it.

But he must have seen her look of mild disappointment because he smiled and said, “Very good, Sonia.”

Now she laughed in disbelief. “I’m so glad you’re impressed. I hope the brilliance of my magic didn’t blind you too much.”

Her sarcasm went completely wide, which she expected, but his compliment was nice regardless of how sincere it happened to be. It took a while to pack everything up, since that many vials made for a precarious balancing act, but Sonia plucked a whole slew of berry components that served as buffer. And since she was in the zone, she started gathering herbs, plants, mints, mushrooms, and everything around that could possibly be used for crafting. By the time they were on the move, the Mudsdale had gained an extra foot of height from the new ingredients, and Sonia and Raihan walked alongside to prevent things from falling. Good thing he was so tall; it barely required effort on his part to reach the top of the packs.

“Let’s stop at the Inn first and drop everything off, then you return the Mudsdale and I’ll get my supplies from Milo,” she said. Raihan made a sound of agreement, and once they made it back they both trekked up and down the stairs with armloads of stuff for Items. Fortunately, it seemed they arrived well before the dinner rush, and Sonia didn’t see any of the Black Charizard group around. Knowing that Victor was trailing them in the morning served as a grim reminder that she had to be careful with her secret, even around these new friends.

Once they had unloaded the Mudsdale, Sonia repeated the instructions to Raihan, then headed off to Milo’s shop. She was a little surprised to see it so busy and had to wait in line for Milo’s attention.

“This is a popular place,” she commented as he brought out the box with her requested items. “What’s going on?”

“Sometimes groups of people go adventuring in the Wild Area for rare monsters and treasures. Today happened to be a busier day than others,” he explained. “I think you’ll find that everything is here.”

A quick scan, and Sonia couldn’t help but smile. “You’re really quite something. Thank you for getting these.”

“No problem!” he said, and when he lifted his arm to take her payment, Sonia saw some scratches on his arm.

“What happened to you?”

“Oh, had a Corvisquire come at me.”

“Do you need a… cure? Or ointment?”

“I’ll get some medicine later.”

She tilted her head. “I’ll bring you some later.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he waved her off, then went onto helping the next customer in line.

But making Milo some medicines would be good advertising, along with informing him on the scope of her talents. _Well, not like I have anything else going on_ , she mentally sighed. _Trying to keep too busy to think, huh?_ She munched on a bit of mint on her way back, and it helped recuperate a little of her energy.

Raihan beat her back, which was of no surprise. He held out two silvers; they were used as a deposit in case she decided to run off with the Mudsdale. But instead of taking them, Sonia casually waved it off.

“Keep them.”

He continued to hold them out to her and looked like he would wait all day for her to take the coins, so she sighed and took them back. _So much for trying to be nice._

She was in the process of putting everything in groups for different Items when someone knocked on the door. “Come in.”

It was Leon. “This looks like important work,” he said, glancing at all the piles of plants.

“Just getting things together for my medicines,” she said. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Actually, I’m here for Raihan.”

Instantly, she felt on-guard. “Why?”

“I heard you two went into the Wild Area by yourselves. I apologize for overstepping my bounds, but I was concerned for your well-being. I assume it was by good luck that neither of you were injured or attacked.”

“We were careful,” Sonia said, trying for grateful rather than reproachful. “But I do appreciate your concern.”

“It’s more than that. I want to see if Raihan knows how to fight.”

Now _that_ was a surprise. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”

“If you insist on traveling into the Wild Area, or wherever you happen to be keeping all those Potions and Repels, it will put my mind at ease to know you have someone who can protect you. There is an obvious candidate here, but I want to know if he can do an adequate job or if we are going to need to discuss your risk-taking behavior more thoroughly.”

Well, damn. He had good points. Repels were helpful but they were not a shield; if they failed or a monster wasn’t sensitive to the effects, she had no way of protecting herself. Yet forcing Raihan to fight and/or die for her seemed very unfair.

 _Except that I’m going to be dragging him all over the Wild Area with me, so it’s not like he’s safe at home anyway. Damn it._ “I’m fine with it if he is,” she finally said, and both of them looked at him.

He had been sitting on his bed, unable to help with the sorting because Sonia herself was the only one who knew where things went, but he had certainly been paying attention to Leon the whole time. His eyes were sharp and harsh as he stared at the other man, and she wondered what the hell Leon had done to piss off Raihan so much.

_Oh right, the slave trade thing. Yikes._

For his part, Leon didn’t seem bothered by the stare, and asked once again, “Battle? Fight?”

Apparently, it was one of the words that he knew but didn’t think to mention. “Yes,” and Raihan got to his feet, sidestepping around the different piles of plants until he was standing face to face with Leon. Leon was tall, but it was mind-boggling that Raihan was literally a head taller than him. On the other hand, Leon was built like a brick outhouse and Raihan was still on the thinner side of lanky.

 _I swear to the gods if they pull their dicks out for a contest right now…._ “Can you two go now? I have some processing to do for my medicines,” she said, making ‘shoo-ing’ gestures at the men. “Please don’t kill each other.”

“Of course not,” Leon said sincerely, not taking his eyes off Raihan. “We’ll be back in a few hours.”

 _Hours?! Well, at least I’ll get some private alchemy time._ “And don’t hurt each other too much.”

“That, I can’t promise,” and the two men left the room before she could respond. Once the door was closed, she locked it, shut the window, and went to work.

**“Dehydrate!”**

* * *

Raihan followed behind Leon and had to admit that a part of him was looking forward to a good fight. It had been literal years since he’d last had a weapon in his hand and beating the shit out of the captain that transported him to Motostoke was going to be a very satisfying experience.

They went to the rear of the Inn, away from all the animals and passers-by. Conveniently, there was a large paved area that was flattened and smoothed into an even sparring field. Someone with magic must have made this; there weren’t any divots in-between the rocks to cause a problem with footwork. There was a stone wall encompassing the whole arena, and when he looked up there were only a few windows that faced back here from the Inn.

 _Built for privacy and practice_ , he imagined.

Leon made a quick turn and grabbed two wooden swords that were leaning against the inn’s wall. He must have had those already in place, since Raihan hadn’t seen a scabbard at the man’s waist when he first came in. With a flip of the practice weapon, Leon offered Raihan the hilt of one. It was an unfamiliar shape – straight and double-edged instead of gracefully curved like one of his brother’s zhemhars – but didn’t seem too hard to handle. The weight was appropriate, too, with a heft that felt _right_ , and the balance was easy to figure out. He tapped the wood, wondering if it had a steel core, but it didn’t hum against his finger. Whoever made this was an artist.

“Practice,” Leon said, going through his own warm-up. “Please.”

It was bizarre to have him nicely asking Raihan for anything, but he appreciated the time to reawaken some of his lost skills. He started out with basic stretches, just to see what his body liked and didn’t like. There was some loss when it came to flexibility, meaning his range of motion was a little more limited now, but he was able to move in ways that he hadn’t really expected. Even if he didn’t think he remembered the moves, his body certainly did.

 _The Full Restore must have healed away some losses due to aging,_ he thought with no small amount of gratitude. _Then, I suppose I owe it to her to see what I can still do_.

Thinking about Sonia was only going to distract him, so he took a few calming breaths and pulled up some old focusing techniques. _“Remember that you are a part of the battle, but you must not be overtaken by it,”_ his teacher Danyal had said over and over. _“Channel the blade. It does not question its ability, nor allow itself to be distracted. It moves as you will it, and any hesitation on your part will be reflected by the wavering of your weapon.”_

He took a few minutes to get used to the borrowed blade. While it felt nice and would certainly do in a pinch, he preferred the spear over the sword, and had to reach very far back in his memory to think about how to properly attack and defend with the much-shorter weapon. He took a few final swipes at the air, checking its arc before he felt ready to spar.

When he turned back, Leon had tied back his hair and removed his usual armor, wearing only his trousers and a tunic for this exercise. _Interesting. Speed over defense. Not what I’d expect from a man who looks like he beats his problems until they disappear,_ Raihan thought.

Leon pointed to the ground about two meters away from his current spot, and Raihan took the hint and stood there in a basic offensive position. Leon lifted his sword up into a defensive pose and, removing one hand from the hilt, made a simple gesture.

 _Come_.

Raihan moved. There was an opening at Leon’s left side and swiped upwards to catch him under the arm. But Leon was fast, far faster than Raihan expected, and parried down so that the blade would swing too far to the side. Using the momentum, Raihan spun on the ball of his right foot and aimed for Leon’s neck.

But he missed because Leon quickly bent backwards, then popped himself right back up and stabbed at Raihan’s chest. It was sheer, dumb luck that he was able to stop the spin in time, and the blade went right past his chest, parallel to his body, and he smacked it upwards with his own blade before taking two steps back to regain his bearings.

“Very nice,” Leon said. “Good.”

It bothered him that he actually appreciated the praise considering how out of practice he was, but Leon gave him no time to react. He closed the gap before Raihan could fully realize it, and he just barely blocked an underhand swing. But he was caught too off-guard and when Leon shoved him, he actually lost enough of his balance that it broke his defense. A heartbeat later, and Leon’s blade was pressed against his chest.

A loss.

 _Fuck_ , he mentally swore. _Fuck._

Leon stepped back and went into the same defensive pose. “Again.”

His pride burning, Raihan went into the same offensive pose. _Yes, again._

They kept it up, trading blows and moves that continued to get more complicated until both men were covered in sweat and their breaths were coming out in measured puffs. Raihan had received a handful of hits that he could feel were forming into bruises and had only gotten superficial successes through accidental cuts or jabs on Leon. They didn’t feel satisfying enough, and he kept going every time Leon said, “Again”.

It was exhilarating as hell, and he found himself smiling though the pain and aches and losses.

The other man enjoyed it too and had begun to talk through the sparring. Mostly it was to give a suggestion here or there – “watch your right foot”, “faster” – but he was also conversing. Talking about old battles, different techniques, his opinions on Raihan’s fighting style. Words to fill the space. Like they did this regularly. Like they’d been sparring for years. Like they were friends.

 _I’m not friends with you people. I’m not friends with a man who was fine with carrying_ my _people to this worthless city to die._

That thought gave him a bit of energy despite starting to wear down, and he decided to try a move he hadn’t used in a while. He danced backwards again, leaving his left side exposed, and Leon dashed forward with a clean right-handed swipe. It sailed right over his head as he ducked down, and Raihan immediately jumped up – and kicked off the ground with his right leg, tucking his head into his chest, and put his left hand on Leon’s shoulder for an extra push. With the added oomph, his whole body flipped right over both the sword and Leon himself, and Raihan landed behind Leon. He stabbed backwards against his right side, and heard a grunt of pain as the tip of the practice sword hit Leon in the back.

_I won._

When he turned around, Leon was rubbing his left flank. “Stop?”

After the adrenaline rush faded away, all the lumps and bumps he earned were coming to the foreground and Raihan felt wiped. “Yes. Thank you.”

They took a seat under the shade of the inn’s wall, and after taking a swig from a canteen, Leon tossed it to Raihan. He squirted some water in his mouth; it was divine, and they passed it back a few times. Given the shift of the sun, they must have been out there for almost two hours.

They were silent at first, regaining their bearings after such a long match, and then Leon started chatting again. Now the subject was Sonia, and Raihan mentally curled in on himself. It was evident that Leon was interested in Sonia, likely for reasons that Raihan himself might share, and he wanted no part in listening to the other man’s musings. It would have suited him fine for them to start fighting again rather than talk about her.

So he asked, “Fight?”

Leon stood up and stretched. “No. Let’s stop.” Then, casually as anything, he said, “Piers has kidnapped the alchemist by now, so my job is done.”

Raihan leapt to his feet, grabbing the practice sword without looking, and immediately sliced at Leon as he mentally reached out with his magic for Sonia. But his attention was divided between realizing that she was still up in their shared room, that Leon knew she was an alchemist, and that the other man had pulled a fast one on him. The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back with a true, metal blade shining in the air right over his neck. Leon was standing above him, holding it steady, and staring down with eyes that were simultaneously hot and cold.

“I knew it,” he said without a trace of humor. “You understand Galarian.”

Raihan’s heart sped up, and not just because the wind had been knocked right out of him.

“I figured you did. It didn’t add up that you weren’t fluent in Galarian yet followed orders so naturally. I thought, maybe he doesn’t like to talk because he’s not as comfortable with speech. But then I saw you dropping off the Mudsdale at the rental shop, and I heard you speaking Galarian though you claim to know nothing.”

Leon pushed the blade down a little farther, and Raihan felt it dent the skin on the side of his throat. He tried not to breathe too deeply. “While it’s not really my business what goes on between the two of you, I admit I’ve been feeling a bit fond of Miss Sonia, and it makes me… _unhappy_ to see that you’re disrespecting her. Telling her that you know nothing. Making a fool of her. So, I set up this sparring session to see if I could have proof of your deceit.”

“You have your answer,” Raihan spat. “What do you do?”

“Isn’t that the Royal Gold question?”

There was nothing he could do but wait for Leon to make a choice. He just hoped that whatever injuries he received Sonia could fix them up.

“The answer is, I’m going to do nothing except suggest that you start practicing more,” he said, stepping back and sheathing the sword. Raihan had no idea where both the sword and scabbard had come from, but assumed it was part of Leon’s personal magic. “You must have been a fighter in Pasaar. You move with the ease of someone who has battled almost as much as I have. As you are, you could certainly walk into the Adventurers Guild and receive B-level ranking. I have no doubt that with a little time and a good weapon, you could easily become an A-level – like myself.”

He offered his hand, and for a split second Raihan thought about smacking it away. But it was made in good faith – and Leon had a sword – so he took it as help for getting to his feet.

“Why do you care about me?”

“As I said, I am fond of Miss Sonia and my earlier comment about how she needs protection is no lie. Since I myself am too tied to the Black Charizard Freight Corps to follow her around, you are going to act in my stead and become her personal guardsman.”

“My sorry, Captain, but you are not my master. You do not own me.”

“True… but as far as Miss Sonia seems concerned, you own yourself,” and the words were almost electric, hanging in the air between the two men. “So I am telling you to do this because you have the capability to be defined as something more than ‘a slave’. Maybe something closer to what you were before you were here. Do you want that?”

He wanted his freedom, his home, his family. But since none of those things were possible, he was willing to admit that the taste of battle was back on his tongue, and he yearned for it again.

“Yes.”

Leon smiled, almost friendly, as he gathered up his armor. “Good. I have an extra sword in case you want to borrow it.”

They went back into the inn, both of them sweaty and worn out but not particularly out of place given the clientele, and Leon brought them into his room. It was a bit of a mess, with weapons strewn about, but after dropping his armor he immediately reached in a seemingly random direction and pulled one up. It was a short sword, shorter than the practice sword, but Raihan had carried a dagger of similar length when he was… someone else, and the feel was good. It was a little lighter than his hand was used to, but just a glance at the blade showed it was a high-quality weapon. The scabbard was white, which was unusual, and had a symbol burned into the butter-soft leather. Raihan didn’t recognize it, but he did recognize that it was a valuable weapon.

“It’s forged from an Aegislash blade,” Leon said with a touch of humor in his voice. “Try not to break it.”

Raihan couldn’t break it if he dropped it from the sky. “This is no simple sword. Why give this one?”

“I prefer broadswords, or even dual wielding. This one is too small for my day-to-day use, and it’s a waste of good steel to let it gather dust and rust in my pack.”

Someone could have argued that it was wasted in the hands of a slave, but Raihan understood that Leon was recognizing the former’s talents by lending such an expensive sword. Just as Sonia had given him back his body, Leon was giving him back his purpose. And since he had once been a man of honor, he offered Leon a proper salute; he touched his forehead with two fingers, sliced down and out as if holding a blade, and struck his opposite shoulder with a closed fist held parallel to the ground.

“Your generosity is recognized, welcomed, and shall be returned in due course,” he said in Pasaari.

Leon couldn’t possibly understand the meaning of the gesture, that it was meant to be shared between officers of equal rank, but he understood the gravity. He gave a bow with his head, momentarily offering his neck, before saying, “Bring it back when you have a weapon of your own.”

Since he was being told to protect Sonia, Raihan allowed himself to be brassy when he asked, “How do you know Miss Sonia is alchemist?”

“Her room smelled like the same Repel that was used to protect us in the Wild Area, which was… almost wasteful, to say the least. Then you came to the room looking completely healthy, the rope burns on your wrists healed up, and no non-magical medicine can do that. And she has that same not-quite-here-ness that I’ve seen in other alchemists, like she’s seeing the world in a way that you and I can’t comprehend. And, of course, you knew who I was talking about when I made the bluff,” he explained. “I’m not sure why her alchemy works here when there haven’t been Motostoke alchemists in centuries, but it does, and I am too busy being grateful to care.”

Raihan ground his teeth together. At first glance, Leon looked like a man who couldn’t think his way out of a paper bag, but that was very obviously not the case. And Sonia must not be as subtle as she was hoping. It was going to be on him to figure out how to protect her secret more thoroughly, and he wondered if that made the other man a danger to her.

“Are you worried about me using this knowledge against her?”

“It… yes.”

“When I signed that contract in blood, I had been bound to hold her secret. And even if I hadn’t, I would never hurt her.” Now Leon tilted his head, considering. “You show an impressive amount of concern for your master.”

“I am obliged by Slave Contract.”

“Did it oblige you to give her the love bite on her neck from yesterday?”

Silence in the room.

Finally, Leon said, “Let me escort you back. I will talk to her on your behalf; allow you to keep up the farce of incoherency for as long as you please.”

Raihan didn’t say anything, just held the sheathed blade in a white-knuckled grip as they walked back to Sonia’s room. Leon knocked, and they waited until Sonia opened the door, looking at little flustered.

“Hi! Back so soon?” she asked, stepping out of the room and shutting the door.

“Yes, it was very enlightening. Raihan is quite a talented fighter, and I feel comfortable leaving you in his care.”

“I can take care of myself,” she said, and Raihan forced himself not to roll his eyes.

“My piece of advice is that he should go visit the Adventurers Guild and introduce himself to Mustard with my recommendation. He’s the warrior who trained me ages ago, and I think he’ll be able to help Raihan smooth some of the edges due to his time away from martial arts.”

“Okay, we’ll do that in the morning.”

“I also gave him one of my swords to practice with. He can use it until we return.”

“Oh, you’re leaving?”

“In three days’ time, then we’ll return after two weeks.”

Her face fell in disappointment. “Too bad. I’ll miss you guys.”

Leon reached up and brushed flyaway hair from Sonia’s eyes, his fingers trailing along her cheek, and Raihan watched as the blush rose up on her face. He stood there, hating his inability to act, hating Leon for his freedom, and wanting to hate Sonia for reacting but unable to feel anything but softness for her.

“If you aren’t too busy, perhaps we can go somewhere together after you bring us the Items. It’d be a pleasure to get to know our newest trading partner a little better before heading off.”

_Say no. Please say no._

He didn’t know how to deal with the feelings she created him. The feeling of how badly he wanted Sonia to turn it down, how badly he wanted to be the one at her side, the one she chose, the one who was privy to her time. And he wanted her so badly that his heart fell into his stomach when she said, “Okay.”

Raihan couldn’t see Leon’s smile, but he could hear it in the other man’s voice. “I’ll look forward to it, then. We’ll see you two at dinner?”

“No, I’ll probably get it brought up. I have a lot of things to organize.”

“Then, have a lovely night,” and he brought up Sonia’s hand and gave it a quick kiss, like he did this all the time. He then turned around and patted Raihan on the shoulder as he said, “Good work today.”

It was all he could do to simply nod silently as Leon walked away, and not to grab the man and run him through with his own sword. Sonia opened the door and shooed Raihan inside before following him and locking it again. It was no surprise that there were a handful of Transmutation Vessels floating in mid-air, all held in stasis while they were talking.

“I’m worn out from all the vial making today, so I’m just processing all the ingredients that don’t need to be used right away,” she said, talking to herself. “Tomorrow I’ll do all the Potions and Repels. I’ll do the Super Potions, Hyper Potions, and Super Repels on EarthDay, just before bringing them over to Hop and Leon. They degrade just a little faster without proper containment, though I don’t think they’re going to be sitting on a shelf for weeks. When I have time, I’ll make some anti-degradation spells but for now I’ll err on the side of caution.”

Her back was to him as she re-activated all the Vessels, and it would have been easy to reach out and touch her. Just the simple act of finger-to-skin, not even anything sexual, but he forced himself to stay still. He wouldn’t risk disrupting her concentration… and he didn’t want to feel her shrug off the touch, shrug him off like a coat she didn’t want anymore. He wanted to stay here, close enough to feel the warmth from her body.

_And if I tell her that I know her language, have been lying to her from the beginning, we will lose this. I should tell her before this gets too far… but maybe I can pretend for just long enough? Change the lie into a truth._

_But if I don’t tell her and she finds out from someone else, would she send me away? Give me back to the trader?_

That thought almost made him sick, and he swallowed back the fear. She didn’t seem like the kind of person to trade him in like defective property… but maybe she would. After all he’d been through, he had no choice _but_ to be worried for that possibility. And for more reason than one, he didn’t want to risk the precarious situation he found himself in.

It was almost insane how different things were from even a week ago. From being packed up and thrown into a cargo hold, his shoulder and leg still oozing… to standing here in a warm room, healed, clean, well-fed, dressed, treated like a person again.

And it began with her, and he knew with absolute certainty that losing her meant losing this.

Sonia turned around and grinned at him. “I’m just over-the-moon with all this work. I’ve never had anyone order so many potions from me before! I really want to do a good job.” Then she frowned as she really looked at him. “You look like you’ve been dragged through the dirt. Go take a bath. _Kernat_ _!_ ”

When he didn’t move, she put the sword on his bed, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the bathing room. “Clothes off, put here,” she said, pointing next to the door before repeating her not-quite-an-order to bathe and shutting the door.

Not for the first time did he shake his head at her. _I don’t understand,_ he thought as he looked at the door, mentally throwing his words at her though he was no telepath, before stripping down and turning on the water. He stepped in the bath and started scrubbing away. _I don’t understand how you can know someone for three days and care so damn much. Why does this matter? Why do_ I _matter? Are you like this with everyone in your life?_

Nothing about this woman made sense. Nothing about her fit into any of the patterns set by the Galarians he knew. Not even the previous paramours in his life were like her. Nasreen was the closest comparison – because both of them had that same not-quite-there-ness that Leon had mentioned – but she was still a proper Pasaari lady and she would _never_ be this kind of bold around someone who was not a lover.

Sonia, however, had no problem telling him to strip down and wash while she was in the next room, and felt at-ease sharing a sleeping space with a male slave rather than making him go outside. Yet she blushed at the touch of a man’s hand on her hair. She made sure he was taken care of and _what the hell?_

A pale hand reached into the room, snatched up his clothes, and shut the door. He stared at the spot before letting out a soft laugh. _What is she up to now?_

Minutes later as he was drying himself off, the door reopened, and clean clothes politely slid into the room before the door shut again.

_Is she doing the laundry?!_

Part of him was absolutely dumbstruck that a slave owner would deign to do such menial labor, and another part of him was impressed that she even knew how to clean clothes. It was baffling that she’d waste the energy on such a thing, but he couldn’t say he didn’t appreciate the thought. He changed right back into his new outfit but took a few minutes to comb his hair back into the single tail; there weren’t enough ties to do his preferred five, but this would do for now.

And when he was ready, he didn’t really wonder why his heart was speeding up at the thought of walking out to her. Didn’t wonder why he felt his spirit reaching for the woman who was so multi-faceted, who brought a range of emotions to his world despite knowing that she was his owner and he was her slave. Didn’t wonder why, after only a trio of days had passed since she purchased him, he felt like he might be able to find meaning in his previously meaningless existence. And he didn’t think too much about the fact that he would have scorned any other fool slave who fell in love with their master because…

_“Run away, younger brother, and live. Find your heart and home far from here, and never return to Pasaar again.”_

Because if there was no hope of him ever returning home, then he might as well give himself to the woman who saved him when she didn’t have to. Who might give him herself when she was ready.

Who might, if she was who she claimed to be, set him free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (08/31/2020): A glimpse into the other side of the story, and the wishes from someone who hasn't allowed himself to have any wishes for the past four years.
> 
> I had initially wanted to keep Raihan's bilingual skills a secret for longer, but then Leon decided to be smarter than I initially gave him credit for and very purposefully forced Raihan's hand. It's what happens when the characters get all uppity and decide they know what better than the authoress. But I really like this chapter, and it will be one of the few times that I'll switch perspectives from Sonia to another person.
> 
> Much love to everyone who stops by for a visit! I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am!


	6. Adjust Temperature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed, she refused to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 6: “Master Mustard,” and their guide came right up to a man in his early sixties who was busy cleaning a sword that had to be at least 3 feet long. He was not quite burly, but certainly looked like he kept active on a very regular basis. If Sonia had to guess, he was pure muscle that hid itself behind a deceiving layer of fat and armor.
> 
> “Yes?”
> 
> “These two have come by with a recommendation from Leon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No musical accompaniment
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh for reading this chapter for me! Much love!

The next morning Raihan was the first one awake, as he had been days prior and would likely continue to do so for the near-to-distant future. Sonia kept her eyes closed as she listened to his prayers, and when he was finished and left the room to get more water, she woke up and stretched and got ready to face the day. An hour later, they were eating breakfast on the go, heading over to the Adventurers Guild with Marnie leading the way.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m really very grateful for your help,” Sonia said.

“It’s fine,” Marnie replied, her voice soft. “We know that you’re new here.”

“Are you from Motostoke?”

“No. Spikemuth.”

That was interesting. Spikemuth was extremely far to the north and east, nor particularly well known in the southern region. Sonia recognized the name but had never met anyone from there – before today.

“Can I ask why you joined the Corps?”

“Leon asked.”

Well, that didn’t explain anything but since she didn’t seem the chatty type Sonia let it go. The walk took them to a northern neighborhood, and Sonia was relieved to see that all the Guilds were still in the same section as they’d been back in her time. It was simply the walk through unfamiliar streets that had given her grief. _That is the Merchants Guild, that’s the Magicians Guild,_ she thought, mentally pointing at each one, _and that big ole building must be the Adventurers Guild_.

“This one,” Marnie said, gesturing with her chin at the building Sonia had correctly deduced. “Goodbye.”

“Thanks again,” Sonia said, but Marnie was already leaving without much fanfare. She shrugged, then escorted Raihan into the building.

The inside looked similar to the entryway of the other Guilds that Sonia had visited; there was a main desk with a handful of staff members ready to assist anyone with questions or concerns. Sonia picked the one man who wasn’t busy.

“Hi.”

“Hello, Miss. How can I help you?”

“My friend here is here to visit Master Mustard.”

“On whose recommendation?”

“Leon, from the Black Charizard Fr-”

“Oh, yes, we know Master Leon. Right this way, Lady, Lord.”

The two blinked at each other before following the man into the back; someone lit a fire under his feet with Leon’s name. They passed by a few training rooms before stepping into a large outdoor arena. Sonia wasn’t sure what fighting rings were supposed to look like, but a quick peek of Raihan’s face told her that this must be sufficient. It was practically the size of two houses right next to each other, and there were a handful of lessons being taught that varied in skill and weapon.

“Master Mustard,” and their guide came right up to a man in his early sixties who was busy cleaning a sword that had to be at least 3 feet long. He was not quite burly, but certainly looked like he kept active on a very regular basis. If Sonia had to guess, he was pure muscle that hid itself behind a deceiving layer of fat and armor.

“Yes?”

“These two have come by with a recommendation from Leon,” and he quickly left the field.

“Leon, huh? I thought Hop and Victor were the last two,” he said gruffly, but she could see a little spark of interest in his eyes. Then he looked at her. “You look like you wouldn’t last a minute.”

“I wouldn’t. I’m a pharmacist. My friend Raihan here is the person who needs your help.”

Mustard stood up and sheathed his sword, and while he was plus/minus an inch of Leon’s height, he too was nowhere close to Raihan’s. He looked Raihan up and down, slowly walked around him, and then tapped on the sword that was attached to his belt. “Where’d you get this from?”

“Raihan doesn’t speak much Galarian,” Sonia said, cutting in.

“That’s nice, miss, but I’m talking to him,” and she bristled at the curt dismissal but let it go because this man seemed willing to teach a Pasaari of questionable origin, and she wouldn’t risk losing this chance. “This sword. Where’s it from?”

“Leon,” Raihan answered.

Now Mustard threw his head back in a laugh. “That little shit! Remind me to beat his ass when I see him next.” He undid the scabbard from his belt before putting it to the side and grabbing two wooden swords. “You, go stand behind the fence before you get hurt.”

Sonia politely backed up; this wasn’t her forte, and she didn’t really have the energy to get annoyed about Mustard’s attitude. But she did want to watch Raihan because she was deathly curious to see what he could do. Mustard tossed him the sword and he caught it with ease.

“Three, two, one, GO!”

And at the two men ran at each other, and they were _fast_. Sonia had good eyes – in part to keep track of all the different things she had to juggle when doing alchemy – but she didn’t know how to contextualize their motions. She just saw swipes, lunges, jumps, and parries like individual steps in a dance; it didn’t have meaning or implication outside of the fact that Raihan looked, well, _stunning_ while he moved. While she tried to pay attention to what Mustard was doing, her eyes would always slide back to Raihan. There was an intensity to him now, something beyond thoughtful or preoccupied, and it was like he threw his whole body into a fight without a hint of restraint. He fought like he didn’t care if he got hurt, just as long as he won.

But the longer she watched, the more she realized that he wasn’t winning and Mustard was a solid wall of defense. For what it was worth, though, she could hear Raihan’s sword bounce off the older man’s armor from time to time, and she hoped that those hits would count in his favor.

Finally, the two men stood apart as they ended the fight, and Sonia was surprised to see that nearly an hour had already passed. It was only when they went still that she could clearly see a line of blood running down Raihan’s temple, just above one of the tattoos, and the bruise forming on his forearm where he blocked a hit. There were probably more wounds hidden beneath clothes or on his other side that she’d have to look for. Still, she didn’t dare enter the field lest she get caught in the fray.

With a final deep breath, Mustard said, “You aren’t a swordsman, are you?”

It took Raihan another moment to catch his breath before he said, “Sword good. No great.” He stepped into a battle pose that meant nothing to Sonia, but definitely meant something to Mustard.

“Oh yeah, that makes more sense,” he nodded wisely. “Well, I can get you a practice one. It’s going to make you into a goddamn bitch of an opponent, though. Your reach could be near 4 meters with the proper weapon.”

That was more than double Sonia’s height. Raihan had a small smirk on his lips, like he understood just how much of a problem he could cause with the “proper weapon”. Sonia had to admit that she was curious, too.

“Come back every day at this time, except StarDay and SunDay. Bring the sword; I’ll keep practice weapons for you. We’ll see how quickly I can turn you into a proper adventurer.”

“Thank you, teacher,” Raihan said as he bowed at the waist, tapping his forehead twice before laying his fist over his heart.

“Better get your woman to fix you up,” Mustard said, walking with Raihan over to Sonia. She immediately handed him a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face and eyes, not caring if it got stained. “Is that clear, miss? He’s mine for an hour every day.”

“I understand. Thank you,” and she decided to ask, “but how much will this cost?”

“Cost? Pay the fee for joining the Guild. We’ll go from there.”

It sounded too good to be true, but when Sonia went back to the front desk and spoke with the same man as before, he said, “Guild members are entitled to regular competency courses in a weapon of their choosing. The cost to join is twenty silvers, though.”

Expensive, but not painful. When she joined the Merchants Guild years ago, the price was only five silvers; time had really taken its toll. Yet, if it gave Raihan a goal of some sort, and the Guild didn’t seem to care that he was a slave – she hadn’t seen any free Pasaari walking around – then Sonia was willing to pay far more than that.

Getting him to recognize his own value again was priceless.

She gave up the silvers as Raihan held the cloth to the cut, and they left the Guild in thoughtful silence. About halfway back to the Inn, she finally asked, “How do you feel? Good? Bad?”

“Good.”

“Pain?”

He gestured to the cut, only oozing now, then his chin; now she could see a bruise starting to form underneath. “Yes. But fine.”

“Let’s get back to the Inn, and I’ll fix you up.”

“No.”

She gave him a look. “What, no?”

“Save for Leon, Hop.”

_Keep the potions for the Black Charizard group. Fine, then._ “All right. But I’ll make you some medicine anyway.”

It was odd, walking together like this. Normally Raihan kept two steps behind her, but the distraction after the fight must have pushed thoughts of submissiveness out of his head. Sonia found herself pleased with the change and kept up a rambling of thoughts just for the sake of talking to him like a friend. She knew he didn’t understand, but he kept nodding vaguely and strolling at her side.

When they arrived back at the Budew Drop Inn, Sonia immediately hustled him upstairs and pulled out a few herbs to make a quick ointment. She thought he could still use the potion after taking a look at the bruises on his arms, chest, back, and legs – gifts from both Leon and Mustard – but he refused to let her give him one, so she made an oral anesthetic and a healing ointment. The latter was a bit sharp-smelling, and Raihan hissed when she put it against the cuts he earned, but he didn’t fight her. She spread a little bit of sterile Pineco glue on the edges of the wound on his temple to keep it closed. “This will fall off in a week. Just don’t touch.”

She spent the rest of the day working on the low-grade Items. It was easy to form a few Transmutation Vessels and put the alchemy kit to work. When she had completed all of the potions, she turned around to have Raihan help pack them up – and saw he was sound asleep on his bed. The bruises were still quite evident, littered on his body like poisonous petals, and Sonia wished he’d let her heal them up. Seeing him so peaceful pulled a yawn right out of her, and she decided that he had the right idea. She laid on her own bed, but kept staring at him.

_I wonder who he is. What he’s like when he’s not hurting. I wonder if I might be someone he could trust._

_Maybe. Or maybe you’re just another bad memory in a string of bad memories._

_But this will all get fixed when I break the contract. Then maybe we can talk like equals… if he doesn’t go running away._

_But he will. And you know it. And you’ll be alone again._

_[The memory of waking up in darkness, suffocating under the weight of shadows, terror clawing at her as she pushed the cellar door, screaming for someone to help but no one came, and even after she got it open she was still so very **alone]**_

She felt herself start to shiver, her heart start to speed up.

_Nope, I’m not doing this. I’m not having another breakdown. I_ refuse _to have another one. So I’m going to pack and label and do all these things nice and slow and think calm thoughts. Calm thoughts._

Sonia got back up and went downstairs. She needed to let her hands work and her brain take a break. Fortunately, Melony was behind the counter.

“Hello, Sonia. What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you had an old box that you’re not using anymore. Preferably one that held wines or bottles.”

“I do, in fact. Give me a moment.” She retrieved it, and it was large enough to double-stack her potions within the dividers.

“Perfect! Thank you!”

“Any time, dear.”

She then spent some time labeling and packing everything up as quietly as possible, pretending that she was fine until she actually did feel more in control of herself. Eventually, dinner time rolled around, and her and Raihan sat down with the Black Charizard Freight Corps and enjoyed another good meal with them. This time, she sat near Marnie and Bede just to change things up. They were the quietest members for certain, but she could hear a little of Marnie’s dry humor and Bede’s sharp wit come into play as Leon regaled them with a tale from the Black Charizard’s founding.

_I’m going to miss them too,_ she thought as she went to bed that night. _All I do is say goodbye to everyone in my life._

Sleep was elusive, as if a hidden part of her didn’t want to close her eyes and lose everything to the darkness again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (09/21/2020): Competent Fighter Raihan is my drug of choice these days. 🤤
> 
> So I feel like I should apologize for posting such a short chapter, especially when compared to previous ones. However, the next chapter is 9 pages long, which is nearly triple the length of this one. As such, I decided to keep the two parts separated.
> 
> Thanks for reading and enjoying this! It warms the cockles of my fanfic-writing heart.


	7. Polarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 7: “I’m sorry,” Leon said, and Sonia just realized that he had his arm around her and had pulled her into a partial hug, and his warmth made her drop her guard.
> 
> “She taught me al- all I needed to know about pharmacology.”
> 
> “You mean, alchemy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: Unfolding, by Doug Hammer. It should start around the time that Sonia and Leon sit down near the garden, and ends with them returning to the Inn.
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh as per usual for her beta efforts. 🤍🤍🤍

The next day was EarthDay, and when her Items were due for collection. She spent a good ten-plus hours working on the higher-grade Potions and Repels, and she was glad she had enough foresight to dedicate so much time to the effort. The only thing that took some energy was peeling off the Chansey shell, but it was time-consuming rather than difficult.

Raihan was good about remembering to train with Mustard, and Sonia left him to his business. She gave him a silver so he could buy some food on the way to and fro, and refused to take it when he tried to give it back. When he returned, he looked far less beaten and battered than the previous day, but she was still concerned because there was a new limp in his step. She forced him to go bathe again so that any injuries could be cleaned, secretly tossing in some healing herbs and Galar Particles into the water, and did the laundry again.

_This is getting ridiculous. He needs some fighting clothes, and some more everyday outfits. Maybe we can do that after this job settles down._

But the sun wasn’t even setting by the time she finished everything, from making Items to labeling and boxing them up. Raihan gave her a hand with the latter part, and cut her old clothes and the loincloth into strips so she could wrap the Hyper Potions up for extra precaution. Finally, with everything taken care of, she knocked on Hop’s door. He opened it before she had even put her hand down. “Hi.”

“Come on in,” he said eagerly, swinging the door wide enough for them to enter. Raihan was holding the wine box packed with most of the Items, while Sonia had the Hyper Potions wrapped up in a smaller box. Interestingly enough, both Leon and Piers were already inside. “Is that everything?”

“Should be,” she said, putting her box on the table while Raihan set the larger one on the floor. “Hopefully, the quality will meet your approval.”

Leon went for the smaller box while Piers and Hop opened the larger one. “These ones are the Hyper Potions,” she said, pointing out the different bottles. “This section is Super and regular Potions, while this side is Super and regular Repels. They’re labeled, though, in case you forget. Feel free to crack one open.”

Piers grabbed a Super Repel while Hop checked a Super Potion. Both of them were holding appraisal glasses; it allowed them to evaluate the quality of any Item, magical or not. “These look brand new! I don’t think I’ve seen a fresh Repel since I was a boy,” Piers said in awed shock. “Not even a hint of dust. Did you clean these before bringing them over?”

“Yes,” Sonia lied; no point in cleaning stuff that was a day old. “Do the numbers match up to our agreement? The quality seems fit?”

She looked over at Leon, who was holding up a Hyper Potion to the window. Sunlight filtered through it, sending deep pink lines radiating onto the floor, and Sonia was pleased to see how clear they looked. But the look on his face was one of wonder and hope; she remembered Raihan’s look right after she healed him up, and this had shades of similarity. _I wonder what sort of feelings I’ve inspired in them._

“This is almost priceless,” he said with a whisper. “I feel like we’re stealing from you, Miss Sonia. To give us these fresh Items, and powerful ones too, at the prices we set… I wonder if we should give you more.”

“Oh no!” Sonia insisted. “There are people who need that. If you give me more money, you charge them more, right? So just, you know, make sure they’re okay with that first.”

“You are too kind,” he murmured.

Hop came running back with a small purse of coins. “Here you go, Miss Sonia. Six golds, seventy-five silvers.” He did the polite thing of pouring them onto the table and counting them out; not that Sonia thought they would gyp her, but she wanted to make sure no mistakes were made. But every single shiny silver and gleaming gold were there, and she took the bag with careful hands.

_Now I can find myself a home and a store._ The gratitude she felt to them was almost indescribable. Yes, they paid her to do a job, but this job was the way she would buy a home and more work for herself. The Black Charizard Freight Corps were helping her make a new life here.

“Are you well?” Leon asked. “Miss Sonia?”

She blinked and realized her eyes were burning with unshed tears. She rubbed her eyes with her wrist, and took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just… overwhelmed. I’ve never made this much money at one time before. And please, call me Sonia.”

“I suspect you will make plenty after this,” Piers said as he carved symbols into the box with magic. They were stabilization circles and could keep the Items from degrading until they were removed from the box. “It’s too bad you can’t make a hundred more. I guarantee the Suppression Forces will use these up in a day.”

“I can… acquire Items on a rolling basis if you prefer that. But I don’t have a lot of storage space, or a good sense of what you need. With you guys gone soon, I think it might be better to wait until you return.”

“But it’s a good idea,” Leon said thoughtfully. “When we bring these over to Kabu and his team tomorrow, we’ll ask what he’d prefer.”

He laid the Hyper Potion back in the smaller box with almost reverent care, wrapping it back up in the scrap cloth, before closing it up. “We will keep these in here with you and Gloria,” he said, looking at Hop.

“We’ll guard them with our lives,” he said solemnly, and he wasn’t the easy-going twenty-some young man that Sonia was becoming quite fond of. And she definitely didn’t like the implication. _These aren’t worth his or Gloria’s life._

“Good man,” Leon nodded, unaffected by the depth of Hop’s declaration. “Piers, is there anything else you need to do to the boxes?”

“I can cast a spell of misdirection on them, make them invisible to people who don’t know they’re here. Otherwise, I’m almost done with the preservation spells.”

“Let’s move them to the opposite wall, right at the foot of that bed,” Hop said, and Raihan followed the directions once Piers finished his spells. “I’ll warn Gloria not to trip over them when she comes back.”

“Then if there’s nothing else to do,” he turned to Sonia, “are you ready?”

She momentarily blanked out before it hit her. _That’s right. He asked me for some time tonight,_ Sonia remembered, her heart giving a skip. So many things happened in the last few days that she almost forgot about it. “I will be. Let me bring this back to my room and clean up a bit,” she said, shaking the coin purse and heading back a few doors down. Raihan followed in her footsteps, and she wondered what he was going to do in the meantime.

She had taken up Leon’s offer for two reasons; she found him an enjoyable, attractive person… and she figured that he’d stay after Raihan left. She didn’t know when she’d free Raihan from the Contract, but she didn’t plan to sit on the problem and hoped that it would be sooner rather than later. And when he left, which he inevitably would because _why wouldn’t he go home_ , Sonia didn’t want to be alone. Couldn’t be alone. Feared it with a force that bordered on terror. If she had to stay with Leon, travel with him and the Black Charizard group, so be it. But she wouldn’t be left behind because she would die before it happened again.

So thoughts about buying a house and a store might be preemptive, but she wanted to plan for her future in one way or another. And maybe it was a little unfair to be thinking about Leon like a back-up plan, but he wasn’t. From the little she knew of him, she was certain he’d be a good man to know, perhaps a great man to love.

Hence, the date.

She grabbed her bag and kept 20 silvers; not that she planned to do any shopping, but it was always a good idea to be prepared. She checked her hair, her skin (Raihan’s mark was gone after she drank the hangover cure), and clothes in her handheld mirror. _Change? No time. Maybe another day_. She had no make-up; if Gloria or Marnie didn’t know a place, perhaps she could make her own? Well, this would have to do.

“Sonia?”

She put away the mirror and turned to face Raihan; he looked… forlorn? Lost? Oh good gods, he must know what’s going on. “Hey, I’ll be back in a few hours,” she said quickly. “I mean, you can have some time to yourself. I’ve been hovering around you so much, you must-”

“Please no.”

“…What?”

“Please no go,” he repeated, stepping closer until he was right in front of her, his forearm against the wall and supporting his weight as he looked down at her. She was pinned in place, though he wasn’t touching her. But when she studied his face, she could see how badly he wanted to.

“Raihan…,” and she trailed off, trying to figure out how to tell him what she felt. “I don’t want to do anything to you that you don’t want.”

“I want,” he whispered, and those two words nearly made her melt into the floor.

But she had to stay in control, for his sake. “You don’t have the freedom to tell me no.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what? Yes, you can? Or yes, you agree? Until I can speak better Pasaari, we shouldn’t because I don’t want to hurt you.”

He warred with himself for a moment, but before he could say anything else, they were interrupted.

“Is there a problem in here?”

Leon’s voice from the doorway, and both she and Raihan turned to look at him. He looked calm enough, but his left hand was hovering over a small dagger at his waist, and the last thing she wanted was to watch either man try murdering the other. So, she slipped out from under Raihan’s arm, grabbed her cloak off the door hook, and headed over to Leon.

“No, we’re just having a talk about… stuff,” she said, knowing how lame it sounded but not really in the mood to hash it over with Leon. “I’m ready.”

“Good,” and he met Raihan’s gaze. “I’ll have her back in two hours.”

She just waved in Raihan’s direction before striding out of the room, Leon behind her. They got outside before she turned around and said, “I don’t know where I’m going.”

He let out a good-natured chuckle. “To warn you, I often don’t know either.”

“I think Victor told me about that.”

“Then, would you like to wander with me?”

Doing something with no direction? Sounded relaxing. “Sure.”

He held out his arm to her. “Would you do me the honor?”

“Thank you,” and she hooked her arm around so that her hand could rest in the crook of his elbow. “I’m ready for this.”

They started walking along the busy street, which was good because Sonia could keep track of where they were going this way. When they got a little farther along, she saw a little stairway that led into the first floor of Motostoke and the main waterway. A sting of memory suddenly caught her. “Let’s go down here.”

“Why?”

“I want to see if I remember something.”

He gave her a quizzical look but escorted her down the stairs and along the waterway, which was only a few inches below the level of the path. True to memory, there was a garden right at the end of the road, and a bench right next to it. The plants that grew here preferred the shade and high humidity from the water, hence why they were planted in the first place. They were now sprawling everywhere, breaking up a little of the concrete as they edged forward. A good rainstorm could flood the garden – which would do no damage and was sometimes a boon.

“I can’t believe this survived,” she whispered, touching the flowers.

“What is this?”

“These are rare healing blossoms. They’re incredibly useful in Cures and Elixirs.”

“Too bad there aren’t any alchemists around to use them.”

She sighed. “Yes, too bad. They are pretty to look at, though. Which is why I wanted to come down here.”

Leon took a seat on the bench, and gently tugged on Sonia’s hand. She sat down next to him, still looking at the flowers.

“Can you tell me which ones are here?”

“Sure! The tree in the center is a Cherubi tree. The berries always bloom in sets of twos; the smaller berry is considered a delicacy, particularly in sweets, but the larger one is useful in medicines. Cherubi can be used to cure poisonings or certain infections.”

“Really? I’ve never heard of it before.”

They were incredibly common in Sonia’s time, but she could guess why they weren’t seen much anymore. “Only alchemists can plant them; they feed it with Galar Particles until the first fruiting, then it can self-propagate. If they’re cut down or lose their water source, they will die.”

_Laurel cooed to the dark purple Cherrim. “All right, darling little thing. You get some sleep, and I’ll be back later.”_

_“Do you need me to come by to feed it?” Sonia asked as Laurel gently covered the resting Cherrim in a layer of healthy, well-tilled soil._

_“Oh, no. It only needs Galar Particles once a week. If I leave town, I’ll let you know.”_

“How about the blue flowers?”

“Those are Lotad blossoms. See how there are pads on the water, and the flowers are growing up onto the soil? They’re all part of the same plant.”

“What do they do?”

“They’re very good for burns. I’ve seen people come to my Gran with a horrific burn, and a little bit of Lotad leaf extract gets them right as rain. It doesn’t cure a scar, but it can help keep one from forming if applied early enough. The blossoms help mitigate the pain from burns.”

_“Of course we need one of these here,” Nessa said with finality, burying a couple of Lotad seeds at the very edge of the garden. “We’re in Motostoke. Burns happen all the time. People should be goddamn grateful we’re so thoughtful.”_

_Sonia threw an arm over Nessa’s neck. “Hey, I’m grateful that you’re so amazing.”_

_Nessa hugged her back. “Flattery won’t get you any of my new make-up… but keep going.”_

Leon tilted his head. “You know, that’s the first time I heard you talk about yourself and your family.”

“Oh. Well,” and she didn’t want to get into this too much on a date, but it seemed safe enough to say, “Gran died a while ago. I… don’t like to talk about her too much.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, and Sonia just realized that he had his arm around her and had pulled her into a partial hug, and his warmth made her drop her guard.

“She taught me al- all I needed to know about pharmacology.”

“You mean, alchemy?”

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at Leon. When she tried to pull away, his arm didn’t budge; he by far outclassed her in strength and wouldn’t be moved.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, trying not to sound like she was absolutely terrified.

“It’s all right, Sonia, I promise I’m not going to tell anyone,” he said, now leaning into her but with no malice in his motion. Rather, he had dipped his head to down so that she would seem to be taller than him. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

“No, you’re mistaken. I’m just a pharmacist!”

“You’re not _just_ anything. But I saw you pulling empty bottles out of the box you brought upstairs a few days ago, and today they were filled with Potions and Repels.”

An arrow of ice shot up her back, and she didn’t reply fast enough. All the other rejections died on her lips until she could only whisper, “Does… does anyone else know?”

“Just me. Even Hop and Piers don’t know. They think you got your potions from a secret storage site.”

Her head was spinning. She made it all of five days before her secret was thrown completely out the window. “Oh gods, I didn’t… I didn’t want to tell anyone.”

“And you don’t have to,” he reassured her. “I swore a blood oath that I’d keep your secret.”

“I didn’t… I don’t want anyone to force me to make Potions for their benefit.” _The Rose family._

“That’s the last thing on my mind.” Now his hand was running up and down her arm, as if he could soothe her feelings with a touch. It was kind of working. “Can I ask, where did you come from?”

She bit her lip. “I don’t think I want to talk about it right now.”

“Then, would you like to get something to eat?”

Food didn’t sound like a good idea right now, and she shook her head.

“Do you want to stay here and relax in the company of your plants?”

_Your plants_. He didn’t know how right he was. “I think I’d like that.”

“Tell me more, then.”

So Sonia started to wax poetic on all the different flowers planted, all their uses, the way they act in certain potions or mixes or whatever. Leon was warm and attentive, enough so that when she started talking about the Oddishes, descendants of the one she planted, one of them popped up from the soil, wandered over, and promptly took a seat on Leon’s boot. He laughed and picked up the little creature, tickling it on the top of its head. It produced a sweet, dreamy scent that helped thaw the chill from her bones.

Finally, her stomach let out a soft rumble. “I think I’ve regained my appetite,” she admitted. “Would… do you mind if we go eat somewhere?”

“I’ve got just the place in mind. Provided we get there,” he joked. “Do you want to take any of these to go?”

“No, I’ll come back another time. I don’t want to carry them around.”

They wandered through Motostoke for another fifteen minutes, trying to find Leon’s restaurant, and it wasn’t until they went back down to the first level that they found it. It was a nice little place, more laid back than the taverns, and had couches for people to share so they could huddle together and talk or perhaps do a little more.

But Leon was gentlemanly, and he sat opposite of her as he ordered some tea. “Do you want anything stronger to drink?”

Sonia loved her liquor but decided that at least one of them needed to get them both back to the Budew Drop Inn. “No, the tea sounds lovely.”

This restaurant apparently didn’t ask the customers what they wanted; they simply made four different courses and brought them out one by one. It was an experience in tastes, some of which were delightful, and some were only so-so, but it was the conversation sprinkled through the meal that Sonia really cared about.

“So you know an awful lot about me. Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?”

Leon rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m from Wyndon. When I was ten, Hop was born, and when I was twelve, our dad died. So it fell on me to take care of my mom and brother.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks. We’re doing well now, as you can see,” he said with a faint smile before continuing. “I ended up working as a squire at the Palace, and Master Mustard was the knight I helped.”

“Oh! We saw him today!”

“Did he help?”

“Yes! He is willing to teach Raihan,” and she glanced around before saying, “though he was a rude asshole to me.”

“Both Gloria and Marnie were less than thrilled with his treatment of them.”

“I’ll bet.” Sonia could only imagine the kind of hell that the two younger women could raise when properly riled up.

“But he was instrumental in helping me get where I am. He saw potential that no one else did, and he trained me for years. I actually became a Sword-and-Shield when I was 16 because of his help.”

Sonia drew a breath. Even in her time, the King and Queen of Galar required a special military guard to protect the royal family. They were known as the Knights of the Sword and Shield. Becoming one was an honor so rarely bestowed that an annual holiday was held to celebrate any man or woman who had become knighted during the past year.

And Leon had been one _at sixteen_.

“So why did you leave?”

He shrugged. “It was a little boring.”

“Boring?!”

“Yes. It’s an honor, yes, but it’s not exciting. We are in the middle of a relatively peaceful period here in Galar, so the work of a knight is mostly spent doing exercises and training rather than fighting. So, I requested a transfer to Motostoke and joined the Wild Area Suppression Forces.”

“That’s why you’re so particular about doing right by them,” Sonia thought aloud. “You used to be part of their force.”

“On the nose. And I stayed with them for about five years before I changed jobs for the last time. That was about three years ago.”

“How old _are_ you?”

“34. You?”

“30, on the dot. My guess is that you created the Black Charizard team as the reason for leaving the Suppression Forces?”

“Yes. I really enjoyed the battles, don’t get me wrong, but I…,” and he stopped to figure out what he really wanted to say. “I appreciate having a big picture view of the world. I like being able to move freely, having the ability to make the choice to say I’m needed _here_ even though someone else wants me _there_. That’s really what the Corps are used for; our most stable source of income is from transporting goods, but we’re really best served as a freelance adventurer’s group. And since we front as being a transport team, no one can bar us from going where we like.”

Sonia thought about it for a moment. “Food or goods is one thing, but you don’t seem like the type of person who likes trafficking in slaves. Why did you agree to it?”

He hesitated. “If I said that it’s a professional secret, would you be upset?”

“No, I understand. It’s not like I was open about my skills either. But now I feel like I take the slave trade a little more personally, and you’re a good man, so the discrepancy between person and deed is throwing me off.”

“For what it’s worth, I _don’t_ like doing it. But sometimes you have to make a decision to do something bad to prevent something worse from happening.”

She couldn’t conceive of anything worse than slavery, but she let it go. Leon was trying to be as honest as he could, and she really did want this date to go well. “So everyone on your team is a trained adventurer?”

“They all have field work experience,” he said, and seemed rejuvenated as he talked about his team. “For example, after Hop and Victor finished their training with Mustard, Hop went into the Suppression Forces while Victor became a Sword-and-Shield.

“Are you serious?! _Two_ of you?!”

“Victor talks about his time even less than I do,” Leon said with a sideways smile. “My brother and I worked together for about two years, but I’d been planning the Freight Corps for most of that time. And when I left the Suppression Force for good, I brought a bunch of people with me. Pissed Kabu off a little, but he got over it.”

“Kabu?”

“He’s the Mayor of Motostoke, and General of the Suppression Forces. He told me, in no uncertain terms, that if I stole any more of his top fighters, he was going to burn all the maps I had as payback. Which would be terrible.”

“Hop,” Sonia immediately said. “Piers?”

“Yes. Piers is a battlemage. He prefers to use music for incantations, but he can do without in a pinch.”

_Would never have thought it._ “Gordie?”

“Gordie was one of my direct subordinates. After I saved him from a wild Gyarados, he swore to follow me wherever I went.”

There was so much between these people; Sonia almost couldn’t comprehend the depth of those bonds. “You’re lucky,” she said, pouring herself a cup of tea and then swirling it mindlessly. “You have so many people who care about you.”

“What about you? Don’t you have the same?”

“No,” she said, then smiled into the teacup as the warmth ran down her throat. “Maybe I’ll tell you more another time. This meal is too enjoyable to bog down with my sob story of a life, especially after all the heavy things we discussed.”

He got up and carefully walked around the little table, then laid a hand on her knee. Since she was wearing her usual green shirt/blue skirt outfit, it felt a little more intimate than she expected, especially with his palm resting on her thigh. “I would like to hear more of it, and more about you. When you’re ready, that is.”

“Thank you,” she said, drinking her tea to hide the blush. “Can I ask a personal question?”

“You may.”

“You… are not married, I assume. Or engaged.”

“No. Or else I would not be on this date with you.”

“Then, what happens if you meet someone you want to be with, but they aren’t really big on monster fighting. What do you do?”

He gave her leg a little squeeze. “I think it depends on the woman. If she has a passion for something else, then perhaps we can figure out how to make our future work together.”

“Oh,” and she didn’t know what to say because she felt a little drunk even though there was no alcohol in the tea, and he was so warm, and when she took the chance to stare into his eyes, she was certain that there weren’t stars near half as bright as he was.

They talked on more superficial topics, such as where his team were going for their next supply run – _Turffield, then Hulbury, and back_ – and what their favorite part of the meal had been – he liked the roasted Farfetch’d breast with carrots and peas, while Sonia was a big fan of the chocolate-covered grepa berries sprinkled with cinnamon. And, no surprise, he insisted on paying for them both.

The walk back to the Inn was uneventful, and Sonia was glad she brought her cloak because it was starting to get chilly. Leon looked at ease with the cool breeze; he had forgone his usual armor and was wearing a white shirt under a button-up red jacket that flattered his muscular figure. And he insisted on escorting her back with her hand on his elbow, just like when they left the Inn.

Once upstairs, he brought her directly to her door. “This was a lovely way to celebrate our first successful business deal. Thank you for joining me.”

“The pleasure was mine,” and she was surprised by how much she meant it. “Good night, Leon.”

“Good night, Sonia. Would you concede a nighttime kiss for me?”

Sonia had initially thought him reserved; that was obviously not the case. So when she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, he turned his head and her lips landed square on his. She gave a little jolt of surprise, but Leon only said, “Maybe someday I’ll get a good morning kiss, too.”

Now he was grinning widely at her while she fumbled with the key and tried to open the door. Then she saw that it was unlocked. _Oh, right. Raihan’s still here._

But when she pushed it open, both the rooms were empty and dark.

He was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (9/28/2020): I give Sonia quite a bit of emotional whiplash in this chapter because it gives me life.
> 
> As promised, I followed the short chapter with a nice, long one. I've been really chugging away at this story, almost to the detriment of the other two, but there are a lot of things that are going to happen and I'm really hopeful that all my dedicated readers will continue to follow and enjoy the events. Thanks again!


	8. Translation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'.
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 8: “Are you still mad at me?” she finally asked, knowing he wouldn’t understand but needing to ask anyway.
> 
> He looked down, rubbing his face with his hands with elbows supported by his knees, before he took a deep breath.
> 
> And then he blew her away when he said, “Never was this about me being angry at you. I was being angry at me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: I Am With You, by Doug Hammer. It should be played from when Sonia wakes up the first time until she wakes up the second time.
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh for reviewing this chapter for me. Hearts!

_Where is he? Did he leave for good? Did someone kidnap him? Is he hurt? Sick? Is this my fault?_ Her thoughts were falling over themselves, trying to escape and run out her mouth as a drop of sweat ran down her neck in worry. “Uhm, Leon?”

He peeked out from the doorway. “Yes?”

“You… haven’t seen Raihan go by, have you?”

“No. Why?”

“He’s not here.”

Leon strode on over and took a look inside. “Wherever he went, he took the sword I lent him,” he said. “So he’s able to defend himself. And no evidence of blood. My guess is that he walked out under his own power.”

“I’m going to ask the others if they saw him leave,” she said, heading downstairs.

Hop, Gloria, Piers, and Gordie were still sitting at the same dining bench that was apparently saved for the Black Charizard Corps. She had seen them before when heading upstairs with Leon, but they didn’t make any motion towards her that time. Now, with her striding at them like a woman on a mission, Hop’s expression went from smiling to serious.

“What’s wrong?”

“Raihan’s missing. Have you seen him recently?”

The table looked back and forth at each other. “Not that I remember,” Gloria said slowly. “I don’t think he was down here for dinner.”

“I didn’t see him after you headed off,” Hop said.

She must have looked distressed because Gordie put a hand on hers. “Hey, it’s all right. You want some help looking for him?”

“I don’t even know where he went. I don’t know if he’s in Motostoke or the Wild Area or whatever. What if he’s hurt, and I don’t know it?”

“Any idea why he left?” he asked.

She initially shook her head, then remembered what happened just before she went out. “I… maybe. He and I were, uhm, talking about personal things, and Leon interrupted us, and then I left with Leon.”

The three men at the table let out a collective breath, while Gloria and Sonia shared a look. “What?” both women asked.

Piers picked up his beer. “He’ll be back. Man’s just takin’ some time for himself.”

“Piers is right,” Gordie said with a reassuring smile, giving her hand a final pat. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

Gloria looked at Hop. “Is this the same thing that you do when you’re pissed about something and don’t want to talk about what’s going on?”

“I seem to recall you going for a four-hour walk through the Wild Area when you were mad about the Dubwool incident,” Hop airily replied, then said to Sonia, “We can come look with you, but, honestly, if you don’t have a direction, we’ll just be aimless.”

“If you really wanna be mean about it,” Piers said nonchalantly, “you can make him come back. Just use the Slave Contract.”

Sonia straight-up forgot about it. Apparently, so did the rest of the table. “Oh, that’s right! Yeah, that would work,” Gordie said.

Piers continued. “If you give him an order, even if he ain’t around to hear it, the brand’ll respond and _make_ him follow the order. It’d be a very quick way of gettin’ his attention. Course, it’ll also be pretty unpleasant and probably make him more upset. But go on – pick the poison you like.”

“I’m not hurting him!”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to wait for him like a good little girl,” he smirked. Sonia wondered if smacking one of her business partners would have a detrimental effect on her future work with them.

“You can always stay and talk with us, if you’re looking for company,” Gloria offered, giving Piers a sharp look, though he pointedly ignored it.

It was a sweet offer and Sonia appreciated it, but didn't think she'd be good for them. “No, but thank you. I think I’m going upstairs to get some rest. It’s been quite a day.”

“See you in the morning, then,” Hop waved. “If we see Raihan, we’ll let him know you were looking for him.”

“Thanks, everyone. Good night.”

It wasn’t actually that far into nighttime; normally Sonia would still have an extra two hours of things to do. She spent a little time making the ointment for Milo’s arm – which she would have to bring to him tomorrow, and even had a little left-over for her own uses – but the minute she thought about making something more complex she felt her magic turn in a tangle. Then inspiration hit, and she grabbed the Pasaari alphabet book and Rose’s notes off the desk.

Studying was something she was good at, and now was just as good a time as any to put those skills into practice, so she took a seat on her bed and scribbled away.

* * *

Gran used to tell Sonia that she slept like the dead. The truth was, as long as Sonia didn’t have any pressing mental concerns, she was a heavy sleeper. If, on the other hand, she had reasons to be vigilant, she could wake up at the drop of a hat.

Which is why, when Raihan opened the door with his usual soft-paw steps, Sonia woke up. She shot up in her bed, throwing a ball of light magic into the air at the same time, surprising him as she did a quick visual scan. No blood, no new bruises, carrying nothing but the sword on his hip. He looked ruffled but not injured, and after he got over the shock of her abrupt wake-up, his expression fell into that neutral I’m-a-slave-so-I-don’t-have-emotions look that she was getting tired of seeing.

He gave her a quick nod of his head, offering nothing more, before turning to the bathing room.

“ _Kag dabid jo_?” she burst out. _Where were you?_

Raihan spun so fast on his heel that he fell against the doorway and had to catch himself. “ _Che_?!”

“ _Naami berzdah ji_ ,” she said. _I was scared._

Two long footsteps took him to her bed, and he sat down on the edge, looking at her like he’d never seen her before. “ _Sonia… Pasaari hadet mekani_?”

She had fallen asleep while translating a few sentences for herself to talk to him, the papers still in her hand. She imagined that her accent was super awful, and she wasn’t certain that she was pronouncing everything correctly, but Raihan seemed to have no problems understanding. She looked down at another two sentences before reading them slowly.

“ _Tubin khasim._ ” _I’m sorry._ “ _Motivuh naaishuv ji._ ” _I don’t understand._

The room was quiet but for the drifting sounds of the dining hall beneath them. Sonia didn’t know what else to say, and Raihan looked too upset to talk. This wasn’t comfortable or easy, the way it had been before, and she wished she could fix it even though she wasn’t certain it could be fixed.

“Are you still mad at me?” she finally asked, knowing he wouldn’t understand but needing to ask anyway.

He looked down, rubbing his face with his hands with elbows supported by his knees, before he took a deep breath.

And then he blew her away when he said, “Never was this about me being angry at you. I was being angry at me.”

It took her brain a few seconds to process the fact that she 1) understood everything, and 2) he was the one who spoke fluidly, if a touch agrammatically. It took another leap to realize _he understands me._

“You speak Galarian,” she said flatly.

He didn’t do anything for ten seconds. Then, a small nod.

“How… how much of what I’m saying do you understand?”

He swallowed and kept staring at his hands before he said, with that same accent, “Enough.” When she didn’t say anything and just stared at him, he said, “I learned fast. Helped me stay inside, not doing painful work.”

_It’s a defense mechanism. Don’t take it personally, Sonia._ And she, of course, started to take it personally. _He pretended not to understand me this whole time. Gods, I feel so stupid now._

Then it _really_ hit her. _Oh good gods, he understood all the things I said. “I promise to cherish it”. “A part of Laurel”. ALL of that._

She knew she was being ridiculous and over-sensitive, but she still got off the bed and gestured for him to stay seated. “I… thanks for being honest. But I’m going to, uhm, step outside for a bit so, uh, don’t leave the room.”

“Sonia, I-”

“Just for a minute,” and she grabbed her cloak and didn’t quite run out of the room, but she certainly slammed the door. She then winced to herself ( _sorry boys_ because Victor and Bede slept in the adjacent room) as she headed back into the evening chill. It was quite dark, and she carried the little ball of light in her hand to help illuminate her steps.

But she wasn’t really intending to go far; just needed some time to process this without Raihan sitting there looking like a wounded Yamper.

_Of course Raihan knows Galarian, is damn near fluent. He’s been in Galar for 4 years. He’s survived by not being an idiot and staying useful. I’m the fool who let herself get convinced otherwise, who decided to take Rose's words at face value._

_It’s not personal,_ she mentally repeated. _He’s known you for less than a week. Why would he tell a slave master, a temper he’s not familiar with, that he’s been lying this whole time?_

_Still sucks, though. Thought he’d be willing to be honest since I’ve been open with him…_ and she stopped in her tracks as she thought, _but he doesn’t owe me anything, does he? He doesn’t owe me anything in return because I can’t expect him to treat me like “everyone else” since I’m not. Since he’s not. Since we’re not._

She took a seat on a bench that looked out past the walls, wrapping the cloak more tightly over her arms. She could see the Wild Area as a dark stain as it sprawled to the south, and if she squinted, she thought she could guess where Wedgehurst should be. But it was just a guess; only more forest and greenery as far as she could theoretically see.

_I want a lot of things that I can’t have. I want my friends. My Gran. My shop. My good little life from 200 years ago. Hellfire and heavenrain, I may as well wish for my parents._

_You can make impossible wishes. It's fine to mourn the losses. Cry and scream and hate the fact that you never got to see Nessa's wedding, never got to visit Gran again, or help your friends after the Invasion, or got to live as an alchemist like you wanted. You can be mad that you got no closure from that time of your life._

_But you have new chances. You have a new job – way better paying that before! You have a potential life in Motostoke, which you’d always wanted. You've met new people who might become wonderful friends. You have someone who has shown an interest in you as a woman, not as an alchemist._

_And… you saved someone’s life_

It didn’t feel like enough. _She_ didn’t feel like enough. _But I’m just Sonia. Lost, scared, lonely, selfish Sonia…_

_who refused to watch someone die_

_who tried to help even when it meant taking a risk_

_and who is going to do the right thing again_

Maybe that was the crux of this. Maybe she just had to accept that this was a bitch of a situation and she could only do what she could do, for better or for worse. And now that she knew Raihan spoke Galarian, it didn’t necessarily mean she couldn’t spend the energy learning Pasaari. Yes, she wanted him freed of his bondage (which ultimately meant her loss), but the effort might make him feel better while he was still trapped by invisible chains.

Though for now… maybe she could cheat. She still had her pen in hand, and there were a few scraps of spellbook paper in her pocket. She stared at them for a few seconds, deciding which TMs to go with before taking inspiration from Gran. It took a little time to draw them, because being imprecise with TMs was a great way to make something explode or die or otherwise end badly, but Sonia thought she did a good job with these.

_Time to test a theory._

* * *

Raihan was still sitting on her bed when she came back, and yes, that was a flash of terror quietly hiding behind his eyes because no matter what Sonia wanted to think, he couldn’t ever forget that despite all the generosity she’d provided, she could still have him killed because he had a scar and she didn’t.

She silently took off her cloak, hung it by the door, and took a seat on his bed while he stayed on hers. She took a deep breath then shielded her mouth with her hand while the other went to her ear.

“ _Kez bast dev’azua nev jiru_.” “I’m not mad at you.”

It was like she’d just smashed him in the face with a rock; he’d have been _less_ shocked if she did hit him. “What… how did-”

“I only have about three more minutes before this wears off, so let me go first,” she said, still speaking Pasaari, and she showed him her palms with the TM-covered paper sticking to them before she turned them to her mouth and ear again.

“We’ve known each other for only a handful of days. All you know about me is that I bought you, and it was my conceit for wanting to think that we could be friendly. For thinking the kiss from before was a more meaningful than just showing gratitude or training as a slave. For expecting that you’d realize my kindness doesn’t need payment and isn’t my way of controlling you. But now I know that’s not possible, not while you’re wearing that brand.”

She swallowed, trying to figure out what was really important to say before the magic wore off. “Just so you know, if you have other secrets you want to keep, that’s fine. If you don’t want to talk to anyone, even me, that’s fine too. Even if Raihan isn’t really your name, you can lie to me to keep yourself safe. Your life has been nothing but invasion, so I want you to keep the things important to you close.”

“Why?!” he burst out in Pasaari, desperate to grasp something that looked so far beyond his reach. “Why are you trying so hard?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” she yelled back. “I couldn’t let you die because I was right there! I couldn’t let you live in constant pain knowing that the only reason you suffered is because of where you were born.” Her voice softened. “And I… I know what it’s like, finding out your life is forever changed, that you can never go back to where you came from, that the only thing you can do is cry and say goodbye. Maybe one day I’ll even tell you my story if you want to hear it. But for now, all I ask is that you listen, and understand I’m on your side.”

“I know you are,” he said, almost deferential. “And I’m sorry, too. You’re a master, and I’m a slave, and it was wrong of me-”

“No, Raihan, listen to me. I’m so afraid of being alone that I’m planning for what will happen when you’re finally freed from the Contract. I’m expecting you’ll leave, and I’ll be alone again, and I can’t have that. So I went with Leon because… because maybe he’ll like me enough, and he won’t leave,” and her voice became barely a whisper as she said, “because I can’t be alone again.”

But before Raihan could respond, a sharp pain went through her temple and tongue, and it pitched her forward off the bed onto her hands and knees. The same pain went through her palms as the paper started to burn with mystical fire, and she couldn’t help but let out a little scream into the hardwood because it was like molten needles stabbing her in the head, mouth, hands. It pulsed into her and was white-hot and relentless and Sonia knew she was crying because it hurt so much, but she brought this on herself and held in a second scream as she bit down on her arm to try and muffle the sound.

Soon enough, then the pain was backing down and she released her arm, now with a huge bite mark bruising the skin, and when she opened her eyes she was still on the floor but Raihan was kneeling in front of her, hands hovering above her but not touching her, like he was afraid that she might burn him too. She swallowed, and tasted blood on her tongue, and for a moment she wondered if there was a hole in it now.

“That was fuckin’ awful,” she coughed, and looked at her hands. No marks or wounds; just ash from the burned-up TMs dusting her skin. _Just like old times._ “’Mind me not t’do that ‘gain.”

She tried to sit up but that made the world go in really fast circles and she might have blacked out for a few moments, but now she was lying on her bed with Raihan kneeling at her side.

“’M I bleedin’?” she half-slurred, then touched her ear. Nope, no blood; just a ringing that was getting softer by the minute.

At first he spoke in Pasaari, but when she didn’t respond, he switched over to Galarian. “What you do?” he asked, sounding both awed and horrified.

“TM for Psychic, with TM for Helpin’ Hand,” she said, still not able to see very clearly despite squinting. Her tongue felt two sizes too big for her mouth. “Made m’ words sound like P’saari even though I spoke G’larian. Made me ‘nderstand you, but not long. Better study ‘nstead.”

She closed her eyes to help the headache decrease, and felt a hand stroking her hair. “Feels good,” she murmured.

“Thank you. For speaking my words.”

“Now y’know why I am th’ way I am. Dramatic.”

“I like you.”

She opened her eyes, then quickly shut them again because her world was still not-right though her mouth was moving better now. Her words were clearer. “Thank you.”

“No, you do not understand. I like you in my heart. And I do not want to go.”

Knowing better this time, Sonia smiled without opening her eyes. “Tell me that after you’ve known me for a month or two.”

“I will,” and he sounded so certain of himself that she nearly laughed. He didn’t stop stroking her hair though.

“So you really do understand Galarian.”

“Yes.”

“Then, here’s **an order**. If, in one month, you still like me beyond simple thankfulness for helping you, I want you to kiss me again.”

A flash of white light that she saw even through closed lids. “Can I kiss you now?”

She hadn’t expected him to ask that, and her mind was too bruised from the backlash of the TMs to give the answer she should have given instead of the one she did. “Yes.”

He immediately leaned right over her and pressed his lips against her, careful and gentle. As if he were concerned that she’d shatter under his touch. But when she let out a satisfied sigh, he became a little more aggressive, a little more forceful. Sonia was getting into it, repaying the touches with her fingers against his arms, until a random needle of pain hit her in the head. Feeling her wince, he pulled away just enough to speak.

“Sleep,” he said, lips brushing against the side of her mouth. “Good night.”

“Night,” and she let herself drift off and away.

* * *

When she woke up, she was squished against the wall. _Huh._ She tried to roll over and was very much stuck on her side. _What the…._

“ _Meken, men'ahra_ ,” Raihan groaned in her hair, and she stopped moving.

_Wait… did he literally sleep with me all night? Because that’s a leg between mine, and an arm around my waist…_ and she could feel the whole of his torso against her back, could feel how warm and firm his body felt to hers. After she got over the initial surprise of their position, Sonia took a few moments to relax and take stock of her body.

_Well, my head doesn’t hurt. My ear works. My tongue still feels a little puffy but I think I can eat and drink. I guess a good night’s rest fixed those problems._

_Now you just have other problems to confront,_ she told herself, and Sonia let out a deep sigh. _Well, better come up with a game plan for the day. I’ll deal with our emotional problems as they come. Today, I need to sign up for a pharmacist’s permit, then go house hunting. And drop off the ointment at Milo’s._

She slowly rolled 180° in his arms until her forehead was nestled under his chin and she could feel his breath stirring her messy bedhead. _Didn’t I just turn this idea down? You know what, just for a moment I think I’ll enjoy this._

But then she saw the brand peeking out from above the collar of his shirt, and Sonia’s heart fell. A horrible reminder that though Raihan might actually like her for her own sake, this relationship was inherently built on a power balance that he could never ignore, and she could never force him to believe didn’t exist. Over and over, the thought tumbled in her head:

_You may not think he’s a slave, but he will never forget that you are his master._

Almost instinctively, she reached an arm over his ribs and gave him a hug. No surprise that he woke up moments later with a soft sound.

“Good morning, Sonia.”

“Good morning, Raihan.” She was going to fall into her usual stilted Galarian for him but remembered that was unnecessary. “Did you sleep well?”

His arm tightened around her waist. “Yes.”

“I think we should probably get up. Eat and all that.”

His grip didn’t change. “Later.” 

The warmth was unquestionably welcome, but she knew that one or the other was going to want more than just a hug – and she wasn’t sure which of them would move first.

Obviously, Raihan. Why she thought otherwise was a mystery.

He started with a peck on her forehead, then slowly brushed his lips down until he could nudge her chin upwards and steal a kiss. Proceeded to steal more, until he was rolling her on her back ( _again!_ ) and trailing touches down her neck. She was still wearing the same outfit as last night, and when he reached her clavicle, he veered off a little to the side before traveling down her collar to the point of her V-neck.

Then she felt a hand sliding up under her shirt, and Sonia decided she needed to stop this before she did something enjoyable but possibly regrettable. He might be certain of what he wanted now, but that wasn’t eternity. She gently put her hand on his, holding it in place, and said, “We should stop.”

He sighed into her skin. “As you say.”

She ran her hand through his hair; thick and dark and falling out of the ponytail. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you go last night?”

He rolled off her, but gently pulled her onto her side so they could look at each other. “Wild Area.”

“Why?”

“I was angry you went with Leon, even though I asked you no. And I was angry with me because I did not make you understand me. Because I lied about my talking. So I went to Wild Area with sword and practiced my fighting. Killed monsters. Felt better.”

Sounded cathartic. “Do you have pain?”

“Some, from fighting Leon and Mustard.” They both looked at each other in mild panic as memory kicked in.

“Mustard,” Sonia said, and they jumped out of bed. “You have to be there in…,” and she looked out the window at the large clocktower. “A half-hour. Go get ready!”

He needed no further push, only taking the time to wash his face and tie his hair back. No point changing just to get dirty again. She tossed him a silver. “Get some food on the way over! I’ll meet you at the Merchants Guild.”

This time, Raihan took the coin without a fight. He grabbed the sword and was out the door before she had finished filling the bathing tub. But it meant she had both rooms to herself this morning, and spent the time lazily washing up before getting ready. She wore the new gray shirt-and-pants to break it in and see if she liked the new style. Women didn’t wear pants 200+ years ago, and it looked comfortable.

It was! The shirt tucked into the high-waisted pants, which tucked into her boots. It gave her a freedom of motion that skirts or dresses just didn’t offer. Sonia was sold. She’d have to buy more.

She tied her hair into the usual side ponytail before taking stock of the situation. She had no pressing alchemical Items to make, but she should get back into practice making medicines and the like. Maybe making perfumes? Maybe some baking? Details. She also needed to go through Laurel’s old bottles and things to figure out what was good and what wasn’t.

And, of course, she had to visit the Guilds. The most important thing to do today.

She grabbed her bag – with all the money, because buying a house was NOT going to be cheap – and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Just Victor sitting by himself in the somewhat empty dining hall. “You must be an early bird,” she said, coming to sit with him.

He grinned. “I like the quiet of the morning. But Gloria and Marnie are coming down in a bit. We leave today, so they’ve got a lot of work to take care of.”

“I’m going to miss you all.”

“We always come back. This is home base, you know.”

Miranda came up to the table and smiled. “Hi, guys. Can I get you some breakfast?”

“I’ll take whatever you’ve got,” he said, and Sonia agreed. “We’ll probably need four plates in total.”

“Got it! I’ll be back!”

“Hey Sonia,” Gloria said, waving to her, and Marnie was right next to her. “Did you ever find Raihan?”

“Yes, he came back last night. Apparently, he went into the Wild Area to blow off some steam.”

She sighed as she slid into the seat next to Sonia. “Guess the boys were right. How awful.”

“Piers will be insufferable if he hears you say that,” Marnie said dryly, sitting next to Victor and across from Gloria.

“Can I ask you ladies a question?” They both nodded. “I was talking with Leon yesterday about your team, and how Mustard trained Hop and you,” and she gestured at Victor, “but not you two.”

“Mustard can bite me in a place where the sun doesn’t shine,” Gloria said with a soft snarl, and Marnie’s expression didn’t change but possibly looked _less_ amused than before. Victor was doing a heroic job of keeping a straight face.

“Well, he never really told me how you two trained. I mean… are you?”

“For sure,” Gloria smiled. “All the members of the Corps are ranked, you know. Me and Marnie are just… cleverer with our magic.”

“So were you part of the Wild Area Suppression Forces before joining the Corps?”

“Yes, but more on the support side,” she explained. “I tended to help with tracking the different monsters in the area and planning which types of magic should be used where. It seems obvious to not use fire magic against a Seaking, but some of the soldiers or adventurers have heads thicker than bricks so I was there as a director of sorts. Amidst other talents.”

“I fix broken things,” Marnie said with a shrug. “Swords, shields, weapons of all kinds. I can also fix carts or mechanical carriages. The only I don’t fix is people, so we leave that to Bede.”

“All of you followed Leon from the Suppression Forces – except you, Victor. But why? Why follow him?”

The trio looked at each other. “I don’t know how you couldn’t,” Victor said seriously. “I mean, Leon’s the kind of boss you always hope you get but are certain you never will. He’s got this….”

“He actually cares about us,” Gloria cut in. “It’s like he sees everyone’s worth, not because they have to have something to offer but because he genuinely thinks everyone is important.”

“He’s unwavering. Solid,” Marnie added.

“He’s straightforward. He’ll always do what he says, say what he means,” Victor finished. “So I left the Knights because he said he needed my help. No one’s ever told me that – that they _need_ me. I was helpful, sure, but necessary? Never. So when Leon asked, I jumped.”

Miranda brought their breakfast and all of them dug into the eggs and toast provided.

“So what are you up to today?” Victor asked.

“I’m going to go to the Merchants Guild and see about getting my pharmacist’s license,” she said between bites. “Shop around and see what other stores are here so I don’t step on too many toes.”

“There is a pharmacist on the north side of town,” Marnie said. “Gordie gets his medicines there.”

“Anyone down here on the south side?”

“Not that I recall.”

“’Scuse me?” and Sonia looked to her left. A woman was standing there, looking a little self-conscious; she was wearing a dress that was both short and thin, along with shoes more ornamental than useful. Sonia quickly thought, _a prostitute. The brothel is down the opposite street._

“Yes?”

“Miss Melony said yer a pharmacist,” she said. “And I think I need some med’cine, but the pharmacist up north doesn’t like having us for customers-”

“Excuse us. Come with me,” and she set down her fork, apologized to the trio, put a hand beneath the woman’s elbow, and guided her upstairs to the room. “What’s your name?”

“Fauna.”

“What do you need?”

Without an audience, Fauna was able to explain what symptoms she had and Sonia nodded in understanding. She was no healer or doctor, but she did have a good idea what could be plaguing the woman.

“I can make you a few pills that you take over the next three days. Do NOT share them, and you must take all of them. Understand?”

“Oh yeah!” she said. “Normally the visitors get a health check by our healer, but he was out sick one day and, well, if ya don’t work ya don’t eat so….”

“It’s fine,” and Sonia went through her stashes. She pulled out a few berries along with some red algae. “Give me a moment to figure out a good medicine, please.”

Fauna nodded vigorously, and Sonia said, **“Library Link.”**

She mentally pulled a book down, opened to the section on sexually transmitted diseases, and found the group of recipes she was looking for. One in particular was pulled out, and she opened her eyes and went to work. With practiced deftness, she dried out the berries, extracted the active ingredients, mixed them together, and compressed them with dehydrated algae. When she was done, she had created three pills each about the size of a human tooth.

“Take one right now, one tomorrow morning, and one the day after,” she said, handing her the trio. She then summoned some water, and offered the floating globe for her to drink.

Fauna looked down. “I… how much money do ya want?”

“We’ll talk in a minute. Swallow this whole.”

She did, and when she brought up the cost again, Sonia asked, “What do you have?”

“Uhm… six coppers.”

“Do you wear make-up?”

“Yeah. For work.”

“If you give me a list of the different stores that sell cosmetics and soaps in town, I will give these to you for your coppers.”

She dictated a list of a half-dozen different places, the owners, and where in Motostoke they were located. Sonia was only too happy to trade off the pills for saving her some time; while she didn’t consider herself a cosmetician – not like Nessa had been – she did recognize the difference between quality and crap. And she did _not_ want to use anything made from poisons or toxins, which Sonia suspected the women herself was using if only because she couldn’t afford better.

“Thanks so much!” Fauna said as they stepped out. “I… honestly, I’d heard rumors that a new pharmacist moved into Motostoke, and I’m real happy it’s a woman.”

“No problem. If you or your friends need help, come and see me.”

“Oh yeah, definitely!” and she booked it out of the Inn, clutching the pills to her chest like gold coins.

No surprise, all three of the Black Charizard group were gone; likely had too much work to do. But Melony didn’t clear her plate, had left her seat untouched, and Sonia glanced at her when she realized the food was still warm.

“Finish up, dear, and I’ll get you a new cup of tea.” She then brought it out with a chocolate cream puff, and when Sonia gave her a quizzical look, she said, “It’s very nice to take care of other people, don’t you think?” before sauntering away.

_Yeah, it is,_ and she enjoyed the hell out of that puff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (11/09/2020): Nothing like making things both less -and- more complicated, eh Raihan?
> 
> I'M BACK!!!! And with a ton of chapters ready to go! As such, I'll probably post a bunch of chapters in a row to try and get more of this story into existence. I'm hopeful I haven't completely lost all of my readers to the double hiatus this year (please don't leave me...). You may also have noticed that I've finally pinned down about how many chapters are in this story, +/-1, depending on whether or not I fluff out a few scenes. So now you can estimate about how much longer I'm going to drag these two through the emotional works.💘
> 
> Come say 'hi'! I miss you guys!


	9. Certification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 9: “Hello. Can I help you?” he asked.
> 
> “I’d like to apply for a pharmacist’s license.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No specific musical accompaniment
> 
> Thanks again to my beta-reader, DezyPhresh. I've been keeping her on her toes with the obnoxious number of chapters I have her read through for me. Thanks!

_First stop, Milo_.

His shop was a little more west than the Guilds, but so what? She had nothing but time. When she walked in, he was busy tidying up around the store. “Ah, Miss Sonia. To what do I owe the pleasure today?”

Sonia quickly pulled the small jar from her bag. “I have something for you.”

“Oh?” and he took it with a curious look. “It’s purple.”

“I thought you’d like to be my first ‘customer’,” she said, hoping that she didn’t sound too breathy from excitement. “This is an ointment made from ganlon berries and few of the leftover supplies I bought from you. It’s good for placing on cuts and scrapes, and keeps the wounds clean while they heal.”

“Well I’ll be,” he said, sounding quite bemused. He opened it up, took a whiff, and said, “My, you’ve got a potent medicine here.”

“Courtesy of your plants.”

“Reckon only a few people in Motostoke that could do this with my wares,” he said, taking a small swipe of it before placing some on his injury. “Burns like the devils, though – oh, not for long. Miss Sonia, this is quite a gift!

“Think of it as a gentle bribe. I want to be a regular customer from you, and if I could create a list of the plants and herbs I’d like to regularly order and you keep to the side, then that would make me very happy.”

“I’m game, Miss. Let me get some paper and we’ll start a checklist. How often do you want to visit?”

“Every MoonDay would be good for now. If my work increases, maybe add EarthDay too.”

It didn’t take long for her to list what she’d need, and Milo expressed no concern that he’d be able to get everything. It would come out to twenty silvers a box, plus or minus additional items. Things were being put into place for her to set up shop.

_Success! Next stop, the Guilds._

Since Mustard tended to be fluid with the concept of “one hour”, Sonia assumed that Raihan was still busy. She peeked into the Adventurers Guild training area outside and saw that Raihan was still in the middle of working with Mustard – and they had gained quite a crowd. Well, it did look pretty awe-inspiring to see the two men sparring together. She would have loved to stay and watch, but since he didn’t really need to sit through her competency testing, she thought it better to finish her work.

She headed into the Merchants Guild; under the umbrella term, anyone who made anything that could be sold was considered a merchant. Sonia always thought that pharmacists should be under the Healers Guild or Alchemists Guild (not that the latter existed in Motostoke anymore), but it wasn’t really up to her.

She walked up to one of the available workers. “Hello.”

“Hello. Can I help you?” he asked.

“I’d like to apply for a pharmacist’s license.”

“You will need to complete a verbal examination with one of our high-ranking Guild members. Would that be a problem?”

“No.”

“Great. Fill out this paper with your information, and I will fetch Master Vallis.”

It was a piece of magic paper; she laid her hand on top of it, and the paper absorbed some of her magical energy. Gradually, her information started to rise up like a bobbin floating to the surface of a lake, but there were a few things she had to change. One was her age and birthday; she just added 200 to her real birth year and that was it. On the bottom the paper had listed her skills; the first and foremost was Alchemist, followed by Pharmacist, Herbalist, and Magician. She quickly erased ‘Alchemist’, bringing Pharmacist to the front. Otherwise, everything else looked quite tidy.

“Lady?” the man asked, and Sonia turned around. “Right this way, please.”

She was escorted through the building until she came into a small office. There, a tall, dark-skinned woman wearing a light green dress stood in front of her, with a small chair in the middle of the room. She didn’t look mean, per se, but she did look quite severe. She was probably a decade older than Sonia, if she had to guess. Next to her was a man probably contemporary in age to Mustard holding a clipboard, and he took the paper from Sonia’s hand.

“Good morning. I am Master Vallis, Guildmaster of the Medicinal Herbs Division of the Merchants Guild, and I will be proctoring your exam today. Master Don, the Second-in-Command, will record your results. Please sit down.”

Sonia took the proffered chair. “An honor. My name is Sonia.”

“Depending on how well you do will depend on the type of license I will be able to offer. If you need additional studies, the Guild will be happy to provide some courses so that you will be ready to re-take the exam.”

“Thank you. I am ready when you are.”

“Good. Please tell me about the usage of sitrus berries in medicines, with a breakdown including at least three different components of the berry.”

Straightforward. Sonia liked this. “Sitrus are the most common base in any medicine. Their fruits are highly prized because they are filled with antioxidants and help decrease vascular fragility. It tends to be used for wound healing, though it does help with infections. The leaves are good for pain management because they have an alkaloid, so it’s important to temper the use when making medicines. The seeds are found in the center of the berry and are also filled with antioxidants, so they can work in a pinch if you don’t have a fresh berry, but they can worsen bleeding in a person who is taking glutamic acid blockers. The effect isn’t seen when using the berry because of the chemical changes in the pulp.”

Master Don was staring at her, and Sonia wondered if she made a mistake. _Am I wrong? Did I forget something?_

But Master Vallis kept going. “Tell me how to make a medicine for chest paroxysms.”

“Take the bark from the salac berry tree. Extract the essence and discard the bark-pulp, mix with some processed salac berry – to temper the GI side effects – and have the patient eat it. If that fails, give them a little bit of sitrus leaf tea to drink, which will help with the pain. Then take a cotton swab, brush it against the palatine tonsils of a child younger than 10, and extract the polypeptide from the sample. Inject the polypeptide into a vein and hope for the best.”

“Activity of the tamato berry with Lonely mint.”

“Medicine for persistent vomiting in a child who ate too much pinchurin meat.”

“Mechanism of action for persim berry on alcohol-induced headaches.”

“Which is better for bleeding after childbirth – the passho berry, or nomel berry? Why?”

“Do you prefer to dehydrate your berries an hour prior to mixing your medicines, or do you prepare the day before?”

“What do you see as your role when working with a healer?”

Finally, Master Don burst out, “Master Vallis! Please! It has been 90 minutes!” he gave Sonia a sympathetic look. “I’m terribly sorry. Normally, these exams go no longer than an hour.”

Master Vallis let out a huff before finally saying, “I also apologize, Sonia. It’s simply been too long since I’ve had such a rousing conversation with someone who is as well-read as myself.”

Now that he pointed it out, Sonia was could feel that her throat was dry… but she felt great. Talking with someone else who was just as passionate about her when it came to medicines was a huge rarity. “Oh, I enjoyed it, too. Truly. And while I hate to be rude, can you tell me if I passed?”

“You certainly did,” Master Vallis said, and she magically summoned a card. On it was all of Sonia’s information. With a quick whip of her finger, she signed the bottom, and handed it off to Sonia for her to read. “There are four different levels of licensing, allowing those who are young in their career or who do not have experience with more complicated medicines to practice only within certain parameters. However, you have exceeded those expectations, and may make and produce any medicine that you see fit. Congratulations, Pharmacist Sonia, and welcome to the Medicinal Herbs Guild.”

Sonia knew she would get her license, having passed her Alchemist exam 200 years ago, but physically holding the card in her hand again felt _real._ Felt good. “Thank you so much,” she said, pouring as much gratitude into her voice as possible. “I really appreciate this.”

“Is there anything else we can help with?”

“I want to open my own store. Do you know who I can talk to about renting or buying a storefront?”

“Yes, we have the Housing Division down the street. Master Don can take you there,” Master Vallis said. “Before you go, though, I have a gift.”

She magic-ed another item, this time a tome that was nearly the size of Gran’s old herbalist textbook. When Master Vallis said, “This is _The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Herbs and Items_ , Sixth Edition” Sonia almost burst out laughing. Apparently, this was the updated version of Gran’s book; Elizabeth Magnolia was listed as one of the original authors. She flipped through the pages and was thoroughly bowled over by all the information presented. This was a gift worth gold to Sonia, who immediately placed it in her bag for safekeeping.

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it, and use it well.”

“I have no doubt about that. I look forward to working with you in the future,” she said, and there was something familiar in the smile that Sonia couldn’t place, but she figured she’d be seeing Master Vallis again in the future.

Master Don led her back to the main entrance, waited while she paid her admission dues to the Guild, and then guided her to the Housing Division down the street. When they entered the building, another gentleman was already waiting for them.

“Don! Good to see you again,” he said, clapping the other man on the back. “I got a message from Val that you have a new pharmacist who needs a house and store.”

“Right on the money, Cunningham,” Don replied with a wide grin as they walked into another office. “Meet Sonia. She matched Vallis wit-for-wit.”

Cunningham winked at her. “You pharmacists are a crazy group. I’ll bet you’ve got some wild stories to tell. But enough about that! You’re in the market, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” she said.

He opened up a map of Motostoke, and little circles of light appeared scattered through the city. “Is there anything specific you need?”

“Well… it would probably be cheaper to have a house with a built-in storefront than to rent a separate store, correct?”

“Probably. But expensive from the get-go.”

“What about a garden?”

“Ohh, that’s a bit trickier. A lot of good healthy farmland is pretty well used up. I can try to see if there are any with lawns that can be repurposed.”

The three of them went back and forth for a while, and Sonia wondered, in the back of her brain, if Raihan was all right. Then she saw Master Don point to one of the lights. “How about that one? Looks big enough, has a yard. It’s on the southern side of Motostoke, though.”

“That’s not the problem. There’s a tree growing directly in the center of the lawn. Make it damn hard to till a garden. The house itself it a little old, but nothing that some time with a carpenter couldn’t fix though.”

“Why not remove the tree?”

“Can’t. It’s an Applin tree.”

Sonia’s head whipped up. “What?”

“An Applin tree. They’re protected under the Alchemy Preservation Act of 1208. In the instance that someone manages to revive Motostoke’s Power Spot, which is highly unlikely, they could become a source of ingredients for alchemists.”

“I want to see it,” she said immediately. “The house. Please.”

Cunningham gave her an odd look, but at her firm expression he said, “That’s fine, Lady. I have a few others in mind that I can show you if it does not meet your expectations.”

They walked outside, and as they were heading down towards the main north-south street, Sonia saw Raihan sitting outside the Adventurers Guild building, finishing a drink. She waved at him, sending up a small spark of magic to catch his eye, and he came over to join their group.

“Where are we going?”

“To look at a house. How was it today?”

Judging by the dirt on his clothes, the rather strained and tight steps as he moved, and the new bruise on his left hand, she could take a guess. But all he said was, “Better. Am learning. Remembering, more like.”

“How long were you waiting?”

He shrugged.

“You could head back to the Inn and relax.”

“I would like to walk with you.”

Couldn’t turn that down, so they walked next to each other as the two men guided them along. They passed right by the Budew Drop Inn and made a sharp left into the southeast part of the city. It was turning into a more residential area, though not necessarily a wealthy part. Sonia remembered (centuries ago) that most of the wealthy folk lived on the upper level of Motostoke, but after the Invasion it looked that the first level was kept primarily to businesses and markets. Now the rich seemed to be over in the northwestern corner, though the area they were walking through was pleasant enough.

And when they came to the house, it took Sonia all of twenty minutes to know this was the one.

It was two stories, which was impressive on its own; Gran’s old cottage was a three-room abode useful for keeping the rain off her hair and the wind out of her herbs. Here, the first floor had a parlor room in the front, which led right into a slightly sprawling drawing room with beautiful bay windows that lit up the room. There was a hallway behind the parlor with the stairs leading up to the bedrooms on one side and the kitchen farther along, and behind the drawing room was the dining room. The upstairs boasted three rooms and one bathing room (and oh, did Sonia gasp and marvel at the presence of plumbing even though the other men looked baffled at her obsession with such a common thing). There were a few pieces of furniture in the house – such as a hefty oven and one large bedframe in the master bedroom – but otherwise proved to be sparse. She’d have to buy a lot of common things.

 _I knew I would. It’s just going to be expensive,_ she thought with a mental sigh.

The house was flanked by similar buildings, though they weren’t pressed together like Goldeen in a can. Rather, each seemed to stand about half a house away as a nod to privacy. There was a sturdy stone wall that ran around the back perimeter, meeting the house about halfway towards the front but allowing people to come up to the backyard through a little gate. In the yard was the tree, as Cunningham had mentioned, and Sonia felt her heart give a jump at the site of the sweet little Applins hanging down like perfect fruits. Their skin was bright red, with a single green one hiding in the middle of the crown, and they looked happy and healthy. It was a bigger Applin tree than she’d ever seen, which meant the house must have been built around it, and it did not seem any worse after the Invasion.

“So what do you think, Lady?”

“I love it,” she said with a touch of awe, then shook her head to clear her mind. “How much?”

Cunningham made a few notes on some paper before saying, “Normally a home as large as this would be 4 golds. I think bringing the price down to 3 golds and 60 silvers should be reasonable, given the state of the house.”

He was right. It was old – probably a hundred years old – and some of the floors and walls were showing their age. This was going to take time and effort. And money; lots of money.

 _I better jump on potion-making fast_. “Can I have someone go through the house and tell me what needs work before I buy it?”

“Already done, Lady,” Cunningham said, handing her a not-small stack of papers. “We have an inspector stop by on a yearly basis. These are the things that need work, but she also listed the healthy parts of the house.”

Sonia flipped through the pages, not really reading with meaning, until she got to the Applin tree comment.

> “It is recommended that a purchaser of this home have training in herbology, pharmacology, cryptozoology, or background as a foreign-born alchemist. Applins are notorious for being a common food source for many monsters and insects, along with producing a large number of potent by-products. Prior experience in handling them will help prevent accidental poisonings, envenomations, or infestations. In addition, it is unlawful to remove the tree from the grounds, as it is still connected to the now-defunct Power Spot.”

Well, she fit that to a T. But before she bought the house, she had to make sure the house wanted her. Walking over to the Applin tree, she said, **“Water Pulse,”** and gently sprinkled water around the tree’s roots. Then, making sure no one could see her, she started talking to the tree. “I’m Sonia. I was wondering if I could live here with you guys. I promise to take care of your tree, though a few of you might end up helping with my medicines.”

The leaves began to shake a little more vigorously than just the wind would explain, but then a single Applin fell from the tree. She picked it up, and felt the little creature vibrate in her hand. Sonia brought it over to the men, pleased with herself and showing off the Applin. “I think it likes me.”

Cunningham’s eyes were wide, and Master Don was frozen in place. The only one who moved was Raihan, coming closer to look at it.

“See here?” and she gently brushed the leaves on top to show off two little eyes staring back at them. “You don’t want to eat these even though they look tasty. The skin can have poison on it, so you have to be familiar with ripe verses unripe Applins before touching them. This one is fine, though.”

He gently reached out to rub the Applin’s shiny skin, and the creature practically leaned into his hand. At the moment of connection, he drew in a sharp breath and the Applin’s leaves stood straight up.

“ _Azjana! Azjana vi?_ ”

“Uh… what?”

He gave a little snarl of frustration. “I do not know Galarian word. It is…,” and he noticed the other two men watching this and shook his head. “We will talk later.”

Sonia took the hint and put the Applin back on the ground. As they walked back to the Housing Division, she glanced back and saw it still sitting there, watching them walk away. It looked… sad.

“I guess I’m buying this house.”

“Yes, you are,” Raihan said with an odd finality that made her think he was _telling her_ what to do. _Isn’t that something._

They got back to Cunningham’s office, and Sonia began to barter like her life depended on it. She wasn’t able to bring the cost of the house down any further, but she was able to get a discount on the taxes since she was buying the house with half the year already gone. She was also given an immediate referral to a carpenter and an architect so that the structural work could being as quickly as possible. The two workers had both grass and rock magic, and she bargained her way into meeting with them tomorrow to discuss her plans and get their input.

When the two of them left the Guild street, the property deed clutched in one hand and the keys to her new house in her other, they were starving. “We need to eat before I kill someone,” Sonia said, and Raihan nodded in hearty agreement. Sonia soon found a cheap tavern that sold fish and chips, and the two of them gorged themselves before settling down enough to talk.

“So what is an adanna?”

“ _Azjana_. It is…,” and he rolled the word around before saying, “monster that is strong. Rare.”

Sonia shrugged her shoulders in helplessness. “There are so many types of monsters.”

He looked like he was going to tear his hair out trying to explain this. “They do not like cold. And do not like each other.”

They weren’t going to get much farther this way, but Sonia had an idea. She paid for the food before saying, “Let’s go for another walk.”

When they got back to the Inn, Sonia took them around to the stables. Luck be a lady – Gloria was there.

“Gloria!”

She turned around from where she was brushing a Mudsdale. “Hi, you two. What’s going on?”

“I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“What kind of a monster is Applin?”

“Applins?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “They’re dragons.”

“Dragon,” Raihan breathed, almost reverential, as he said the word a few times to get used to it.

This was new to Sonia. She knew they were plant-type monsters, but didn’t remember Gran saying anything about them being dragon types. “Really? They don’t look like it at all.”

“They’re very uncommon nowadays, so most people won’t know it. They’re too delicate to live in the Wild Area, but with the loss of the Motostoke Power Spot, they can’t make any more trees, which is too bad because they’re good for the environment. They tend to filter out nasty particulate matter, and instead produce some very strong acids that are good for killing bug-type monsters,” Gloria said, rattling all that off while working simultaneously on the Mudsdale.

“Do you like them?”

“They’re very cute,” she said with a smile, “but I’ve never seen one. So my interest is purely theoretical, I suppose.”

“Really? Never?” and Sonia pulled her hands from behind her back. “How about now?”

Gloria turned around and, upon seeing the Applin sitting in Sonia’s palms, let out a shriek of delight. The two of them had run back to the house and picked up the Applin that had fallen; it was still sitting in the same spot, and Sonia couldn’t _not_ get it.

“What a little love!” she cooed at the creature. “You are so handsome! Oh, you’re a girl! Well, you’re very pretty!”

“Here,” and Sonia gently deposited the Applin into Gloria’s hands, where it proceeded to wiggle back and forth before she started to pet it on the leaves. “I thought you’d be able to tell us about it from a zoologist’s point of view. It’s a dragon, you say?”

“Yes! It’s the smallest of all dragon species here in Galar.”

“What makes it a dragon?”

“Dragons are mostly scaled or feathered, and almost never furred. They are weak to ice magic, and very weak when attacked by other dragons. But they are very versatile. Many can fly, some breathe fire. If you found one that was newly killed, they can make some powerful medicines.” She gave Sonia a pitiful look. “You’re not going to kill this one, are you?”

“No, but I might have to if someone were to get sick,” she said, being honest with Gloria.

The younger woman cuddled it against her chest. “No, you can’t! Oh, I’d love to keep you, baby. I wouldn’t let that mean ole pharmacist use you up!”

“Why not?”

“Uhm, what?”

“Why can’t you keep her?”

“… She’s yours. You found her.”

“I bought a house today, and it’s got an Applin tree. If that one doesn’t mind, you can have her. I’ll have all her siblings to look after from now on.”

Gloria shook her head. “Wait. I think there’s a lot of information in that phrase that I didn’t get. You bought a house?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. And it has an Applin tree?”

“Yes. There are a lot more still hanging on branches. So, honestly, if you want this-”

“Oh gods yes! HOP!” and Gloria took off at a dead run towards the inn, her excited screams echoing down to them.

Sonia threw Raihan a huge grin. “I think she likes it.”

“I think yes, too,” he replied, and he had enough of a smile that she could see the little fang peeking out. It was oddly endearing.

They headed upstairs together; Sonia decided that she should probably start working on some other items if she was planning to make a store. And since she _owned_ the house, they might as well start packing up and heading back to it.

“Let’s re-box the glassware first,” she said, mentally planning the trip. “If I can get another box from Melony, we may be able to do this in one go.”

He looked hesitant before nodding. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing.”

“No, you don’t get to be cryptic anymore,” she said sourly. “You wear that stupid slave mask like it means something to me and it doesn’t. If you have an opinion, you need to tell me.”

He warred with himself for a moment before saying, “It will likely take more two trips by us. There are a lot of plants. A lot of glass. Maybe can we borrow a carriage or a cart, or even a Mudsdale to help with things that break easy.”

Sonia blinked at him. “That’s what you were worried about me getting mad about?”

“I do not think you understand what it was like,” he said, his voice going soft as he slowly took the alchemy glassware apart, “being punished for any reason. For no reason.”

Sonia felt alternating hot and cold in her chest. _No. I couldn’t conceive of what he’s been through. I never can_. It took her two separate tries, mouth opening and closing without a sound, before she finally whispered, “Sorry.”

If he heard it, he didn’t respond. Her embarrassment over such a thoughtless comment left her so ill that she just left the room and went a few doors over to see if Marnie was around. She wasn’t, but Gloria was still ranting about the Applin to Hop, so that was a good second option.

“Hey, Gloria,” she said, pushing some of her normal tone into her voice. “Can I ask a favor?”

“ _Anything_.”

Now she laughed for real. “I’d like to move my pharmaceutical equipment over to the new house. But it’s a bit of a trek and I have a lot of stuff. Can we borrow your Mudsdale?”

Gloria grinned. “Of course. It’s not mine, per se, but I know no one else is using it.”

“I can help pack stuff, too,” Hop offered. “We have an extra box if you need it.”

Sonia looked in the room and couldn’t see the potions. She assumed that Leon and the others must have taken them over already. “That would be great. Thank you.”

She gently bossed everyone around, making sure that the delicate items were placed _last_ in the boxes rather than on the bottom. The only things she ended up leaving were the laundry and bathing items. She could test out the plumbing but figured her and Raihan would have to bunk at the Inn for a while, at least until the major repairs were completed.

They met Gloria in the stable, and she carefully led the Mudsdale out. Packing it up on the animal’s back was easy, and the four of them walked back to Sonia’s new house. When they arrived, both Gloria and Hop sounded very appreciative.

“This looks beautiful,” Gloria breathed. “That Applin tree is really something.”

Hop snorted and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. “You’re adorable when you’re fawning over your monsters.”

“You can fawn more after we get everything inside,” Sonia said. She directed the boxes with glassware and alchemy-only materials into one of the upstairs rooms, while ingredients for medicines or other pharmaceutical wares was brought into the drawing room.

“So what’s your idea?” Hop asked as he looked through the house. “It’s awfully big for the two of you.”

“I know. That’s why I’m making the parlor and the drawing room my new shop.”

“A shop?” Gloria asked, carrying the Applin in her hands. “How?”

Given the opening, Sonia dove in head-first. “So my thought is to put up a full wall here, not just an archway. This would be part of the shelving. That would make the only way into the house proper from the front would be through this door,” and she pointed to the drawing room door. “This door leads into the dining room.”

“Oh, are you planning on selling food?” Hop asked, obviously invested in the answer.

Sonia grinned. “I doubt it, but it would make a perfect storage area for extra goods.”

“I can’t wait to visit when it’s fixed up,” Gloria said firmly. “I will buy everything you’ve got.”

They chatted a few more minutes before Hop and Gloria had to head back. “Come see us before we leave,” Gloria said, and Sonia made it a promise.

But that left her with Raihan, who had been helpful but stone-silent through the whole thing, and now she felt like a nervous wreck again. _Great. Just wonderful._ So rather than deal with the situation, she decided that she would rather start unpacking and making lists of what she needed soon, now, and _right now_.

 _Beds and mattresses_ were the first thing on her list. After that came _pots and pans_ , _dishware_ , _table for alchemy room, table for the store, table and chairs for kitchen, and dressers and nightstands._ Other things would come up as they came up. She went into the bathing room – there was one huge one on the second floor – and decided to give it a test run. She opened the tap over the bathing tub, which wasn’t quite as big as she hoped but much bigger than the one in the Budew Drop Inn. She was thrilled to see that it ran clear, and she took some of the water and rinsed it down the latrine. No plugs or slow drainage or bubbling grossness; thank the gods that was a problem she didn’t have to contend with. They even had a spout for washing hands into a round basin.

“Technology is quite amazing,” she murmured to herself. “I couldn’t even conceive of these things before.”

When she turned around, she let out a tiny gasp; Raihan was standing in the doorway watching her. “Gods above! You gave a fright!”

“I am sorry.”

She headed out the door to give him privacy. “Excuse me, I’ll let you-”

“Why do you talk like that?”

She stopped and turned around. “What?”

“You talk like you are not from Galar.”

“That makes no sense. You know for a fact I’m from Galar!”

“I am...,” and he rubbed his eyes with his fingers before saying, “I thought it was me. That I did not understand because I do not speak good Galarian. But you… you say things that do not make sense.”

 _Oh good gods, he’s putting things together,_ she thought with a little bolt of terror. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

And just like that he backed down. He bent his head in a respectful nod, then turned back to the stairs.

_If you don’t do something, he will never try that again. Never try to initiate a conversation or show even the faintest semblance of interest in you. Those touches will disappear into smoke, those words won’t be heard again, and your attempts to show him your care will be for naught._

“Raihan!”

He stopped and turned around. “Yes, Mistress?”

“Please don’t do that,” she whispered, her stomach turning into knots. She took another deep breath before finally saying, “You’re right, and you’re wrong. I’m from Galar. But I’m not from your Galar.”

Now he looked genuinely confused, a real expression and a crack in the mask.

“Do you want to know?” she asked, then shoved through before he could answer. “I mean, do you _want_ to know? Because I won’t talk about this if you don’t care.”

“You do not have to tell me. You do not owe me your past.”

“I know but…,” and this was so frustrating because he had those damn slave habits beaten into him so badly that he just could not tell her what he truly wanted, especially after her initial rebuff. No, she needed to help him break through without breaking him.

So she strode up to him and forced him to meet her eyes. It’d been a while since she’d so purposefully looked into him, and it caught him off-guard enough that he actually took a half-step back (which would have been amusing if she weren’t so serious).

“Do you want to know who I am? Do you, Raihan of Pasaar, feel that my past is a story that will mean something to you?”

To his credit, Raihan took her request seriously and said nothing at first. She kept staring at him, and for once he was the one who looked uncomfortable being the target of such focus. But he finally said, “Yes.”

Well… there it was. She nodded and said, “Follow me.” They went back downstairs, and Sonia grabbed an old tarp from the dining room before heading outside into the backyard. Once there, she spread the tarp onto a springy cushion of grass – not too much Applin tree root in this spot – before flopping down and gesturing for Raihan to join her. He took a seat next to her, close enough to touch but still respecting her personal space.

“So let me tell you about myself.”

And she wove the history that she’d been afraid to look at since she woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (11/16/2020): A job! A house! A magic dragon-tree! Sonia's starting to make something of herself, and we're all very proud.
> 
> So I know that I just posted a week ago into this story, but I'm going to post all the way up to Chapter 10 before I jump around to other stories. Hell, I might even post more in order to give myself a buffer for working on "Your World" and "A Choice". And since this chapter is a lot of exposition without too much action, I think it'll be best to keep the flow going.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's reading and enjoying this story! You're all wonderful!


	10. Extraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 10: She saw that the monsters were starting to head south towards her. She grabbed her bag and jumped down into the cellar. The iron-and-wood doors were extremely heavy, but they would protect against monsters running overhead. She unrolled one of the stasis spells on the floor, lit a torch, and laid on top of the spell.
> 
> “Activate!”
> 
> And that was the last thing Sonia remembered for a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: Sorrow, by Doug Hammer
> 
> Thanks again to DezyPhresh for her edits. ❤

Sonia didn’t remember her parents. They had died on a trip through the Wild Area, though ironically it hadn’t been the monsters that got them, but the bandits that lined some of the more desolate roads. Sonia wasn’t allowed to travel at that time – too young for such trips – and as such had been home with Gran when the word arrived about their death. She wished she could remember them as more than faceless names, but they were the first great losses of many to come.

She, like her father and grandmother, had shown a gift for alchemy. Given Gran’s talents as the Lead Alchemist to the Mayor of Motostoke (who had recanted her position to stay home for her granddaughter) along with being a genius at magic, there was really no better teacher for her. Gran wasn’t warm, per se, but she was a good woman who was absolutely determined to give Sonia the best she could in this life. It usually meant grueling homework and magework and what have you, forcing her to use her magic until she had none left on a near-daily basis. But Sonia didn’t know any other life, and by the time she was 10, she was ready to bond to the Motostoke Power Spot. Its energy could reach all the way down to Wedgehurst in the south and overlapped against the Tuffield and Hulbury Power Spots on the north, which was good because Gran didn’t care for travel.

Gran held her hand as she stepped inside, and when Sonia entered she saw the world filled with beautiful, glitter-like bits of energy floating through the world. She talked and danced and played with the Spirit of Motostoke, the one who was the link between the spirit and the solid worlds, the one who could bless her with the ability to see and manipulate Galar Particles. And when she stepped out three hours later – though it seemed like no time had passed – she could now feel them everywhere she went.

Trying to explain Galar Particles to anyone who wasn’t an alchemist was a little complicated, so Sonia tried to use the senses they shared. It was like smelling cinnamon when someone was baking, or the way the grass felt different from the cobbled road, or the sound of the wind moving through trees. It was so ubiquitous that she stopped thinking about them, the way people generally just knew that color existed even if they didn’t give it much thought.

Afterwards, Sonia’s studies ramped up to include TMs, which were magical spells that could be written down. They tended to be complicated and mostly useless in a fight unless prepared ahead of time, so it was the rare magician or battle-mage that bothered with them. Gran decided the simplest thing to do was use Psychic to imprint all the different TMs into her brain over the years (which, while simple, was _very_ painful), and make Sonia go through the practice of drawing them until she couldn’t hold a pen. She did this while working as an apprentice alchemist in her grandmother’s little shop in Wedgehurst, though she hoped that someday she could move to Motostoke and see the wider world. She learned how to make Items, like Potions and Repels and the like, but she also made non-magical items like medicines, soaps, and perfumes. She even gained a talented hand for baking and cooking, which helped make some extra money on SunDays when she brought her goods to the shop.

Her final test had been to draw a special combined TM of Protect and Rest; it was used to as a magical shield that could put someone into a stasis and keep them from harm in case of an emergency. It was one of the most difficult spells to draw because a single line or letter out of place could mean the difference between sleep and _death_ , but Sonia practiced over and over. When Gran gave her the assignment, she drew not one, but two copies of the spell.

They were perfect. Gran took a look at the two papers, and a rare smile spread across her face. She hugged Sonia, gave her a kiss on the head, and said that she was so proud to be her grandmother. Sonia cooked an amazing dinner with an indulgent pie to celebrate, and they sat and talked and just had a lovely night together.

When Sonia woke up the next morning, her gran did not.

That was the second loss.

So she closed the shop for a week to try and figure out who she was without her Gran and decided that she was still herself and would be the best alchemist she could be. She got her license in Wedgehurst, went back to the shop, opened it up, and pretended that everything was fine until she was no longer pretending.

Over time she made friends. She was one of many alchemists in the Motostoke region, so she wasn’t special, but she knew she was good and that was enough. Laurel was older than her – 26 to her 18 – but became a new mentor without a skip in her step. She was an alchemist who specialized in vitamins and ethers, which all the adventurers went absolutely crazy for, and everyone loved her teas. Then Sonia met Nessa a year after Gran’s death, and the two of them became soul sisters after they met for the first time in Motostoke’s largest clothing store, gushing over the newest fashion. Nessa was an alchemist from Hulbury who came to visit Motostoke regularly, as her parents were sailors and she came down to sell her wares dockside. From there, her circle of friends began to widen until she met Dillon – who was her first love, though they didn’t last. And her life went on, and she met more people and fell in love as it happened, and she was content with the direction that fate seemed to take her.

Until the Wild Area exploded.

Wedgehurst and Motostoke lived on separate sides of the Wild Area, with the bulk of Galar north of Motostoke. South of Wedgehurst were smaller towns, though the Crown Tundra and big cities of Klostria and Jorjun all had their own Power Spots. So when Sonia went to visit Motostoke, she always made sure to travel with a caravan and use as many Repels as possible. That day, however, Sonia watched all of the scattered Power Spots in the Wild Area suddenly glow with vicious red energy, and the monsters ballooned in size until they were hundreds of times larger than their normal forms. Her caravan was attacked by a giant Ferrothorn, and it was only through the grace of all three gods that she managed to survive jumping off the careening cart and onto the ground. She was only an hour away from home, but two _days_ away from Motostoke, and knew that there was no way to survive if she didn’t get somewhere safe. She threw Max Repels, one on top of the other, all over her body as she ran home, barely stopping for a breath but knowing that slowing down meant a monster could come get her.

By the time she made it back, her chest hurt from the exertion and her legs were weak and cramped and she was only moving because she kept drinking her own potions. Her cottage was on the outskirts at the Meeting Place and saw that the monsters were starting to head south towards her. She grabbed her bag, shoved a few books and journals inside, grabbed her Preservation bag with ten empty bottles inside, and jumped down into the cellar. The iron-and-wood doors were extremely heavy, but they would protect against monsters running overhead. There, she unrolled one of the treasured stasis spells on the floor. She lit a torch to offer light, set everything up, and laid on top of the spell.

**“Activate!”**

And that was the last thing Sonia remembered for a very long time.

When she woke up, the air was dusty and she couldn’t make out anything because she felt so gritty. She let out a cough, and found her body so weak that she could barely prop herself up on her arms. **“Galar Particles,”** she breathed, and the energy from the ground and stones helped bolster her enough that she could illuminate the room.

The cellar looked old. Not that it was kept in great shape, but the rocks were covered with moss, the table had a layer of dust so thick it was almost as tall as her pinky finger, and her clothes were starting to tatter despite being relatively new.

Which was weird, because she couldn’t have been in stasis for that long, right? Maybe a few days? A week?

When she looked around, there was a thin slice of light cutting into the room, and Sonia followed it to the cellar door above her head. When she gave it a little push, it wouldn’t open. She kept pushing, adding more strength until she was almost running into it, and even though she’d never been afraid of the dark, now she was screaming for help, hitting the door with her shoulder, trying everything to get free of the room that held her safe but was now a prison. Finally, she decided to try and burn the door because her brain was so Buneary-instinct terrified of this room that she couldn’t think of anything else.

 **“Ember!”** and the fire caught onto the old wood, and it only took about thirty seconds before the door – and a rock that had been sitting on top of it – collapsed into the room. She summoned some water and threw it on the fire, then carefully climbed up the rock and out into the sunlight.

It was like stepping into another world. Instead of her little cottage, there was _nothing_. There were some rocks and the concept of a foundation, but in its place stood nothing but trees and herbs. She ducked back into the cellar and grabbed her bag – and found that the leather was oddly fragile, considering it was only four years old and made of Hippowdon skin, so it should last for a long time. But it still worked, even though the paper inside was so delicate as to disintegrate when she jostled the bag.

 _Oh hell, that last stasis spell!_ She mentally snarled. The books were all right, but she thought better of opening them. The Preservation pouch was in perfect condition, as were the empty glasses inside, but that was to be expected.

She wandered through the area for hours, picking herbs from her now-overgrown garden as her brain tumbled over the reason why her life looked like this. Finally, she remembered the last thing that happened.

_I left the torch to burn._

Her best guess? The stasis spell protected her from all harm, making sure that she didn’t wake up before it was safe. It was likely that the torch devoured all the oxygen in the cellar, and the stasis spell didn’t wake her up because she wouldn’t have been able to breathe. It wasn’t until the wood of the door had started to rot enough that light and air could enter the room that the spell re-triggered her back to life.

Which meant… years. Years and years. How long, Sonia couldn’t guess. Didn’t want to guess. When she looked around, there were no markers to tell her where Motostoke was, or where Wedgehurst lay. Finally, she decided that she couldn’t sit around for too long or she’d get eaten alive. Using the cellar once last time, she first sat down and accessed her Library.

Gran had explained that in each field of study existed a Library specific to their knowledge base with occasional overlap; it was a space-less, time-less repository of information. Which, while impressive in nature, was not nearly that easy to use. They were often linked to a Power Spot region, so leaving the area meant losing the Library. In addition, infinite information without a way to organize it meant it could take _years_ to find a single alchemical “recipe”.

But if an alchemist had a good mentor, the mentor often had their own way of leading their student with a classification system. Gran had opened up the Alchemy Library after Sonia had “graduated” from being a student, and she found it easier to simply memorize recipes and only go into the library for uncommon Items or drugs that she didn’t regularly use or make. Although she’d made Potions and Repels with painful frequency, she hadn’t accessed the Library during the stasis. She was curious if there was new information in certain “shelves” that hadn’t been there before, and meandered through the ‘Alchemy’ section.

_Well, that’s interesting._

Despite the passage of a decade (to her guess), there were less than a handful of new books available. Which was odd, to say the least; people were always moving to improve themselves, and there were so many alchemists in the country that it should have been teeming with new information. What did surprise her was that the “Pharmacy” section, which overlapped with pharmacists and healers, it had ballooned like crazy.

_I wonder why the shift has taken place._

She didn’t actually need anything from the Library, and mentally stepped back into the “real” world before getting to work making ten Potions and Repels. Hopefully, she could sell them for a few coppers to get her feet under her. She also gathered some of the rarer plants and berries, drying them out before packing them away. She ate some leftover berries and vegetables to give herself strength for what was coming.

And she walked. She sprayed herself with one of the Repels for good measure, but it was odd how quiet the Wild Area seemed to be. As she moved, she collected berries for eating and purified the water from a small river going by. Finally, she found one of the lakes and realized that she was on the western side of the Wild Area. _So that means a road should be over… there! Leading right to Motostoke!_

It took more time than that to actually find the road, but when she did she was thrilled to see it – and shocked that it looked so new. And flat! When did cobblestones and dirt get so fancy? But hey, made for an easy trek.

Nighttime fell, and she had her old cloak as a blanket while her bag was a pillow. She made two more Repels with the herbs she found, and immediately used one – didn’t even bottle it up – just before nodding off to sleep. When she woke up, she wasn’t quite refreshed but had enough in her to get on the road again after eating and drinking a little more.

It was somewhere around midday when she heard the sound of Perrserker going absolutely Zubat-shit insane somewhere up ahead. She dodged off the road, staying hidden in the trees, and carefully ran forward to see what was going on. The road she was following met up at a fork, and there she could see over a dozen of the angry creatures attacking three large caravans. Perrserker were medium-sized monsters, their heads coming to Sonia’s waist, with manes made of iron and steel that kept them from getting their heads cut off. Their claws and fangs were deadly weapons, and she’d seen one rip the head off a Diggersby without a second thought. And they were hellbent on destroying the people who infringed on their territory.

One young man with dark brown hair was wielding a pair of short swords like he was a master rogue, almost too fast for her eyes to follow, and another with blond hair who swung a hammer around to pulverize another Perrserker. Another young man fired arrow after arrow that met their mark each time, but it wasn’t enough. Everyone was outnumbered, and the Perrserker were ready for more.

So Sonia pulled out one of her Repels, twisted her hips, and threw the Item with all her strength. It smashed against the side of a horseless caravan, and immediately the scent caused the Perrserker to shriek and run off into the woods.

“Who threw that?” a tall man asked sharply as he came around into view, holding a broadsword in his hand and covered in blood. “Show yourself!”

 _Uh oh,_ Sonia thought to herself. _Maybe I made a mistake._

She stepped out onto the road, trying to look as harmless as possible. “I threw it. I’m sorry if I caused a problem, but I thought you might need help,” she said, her voice trailing away.

All the travelers stared at her, until the tallest man sheathed his sword and walked up to her. He wore dark gray armor with red leather guards to highlight, and he almost seemed to glow from embers within. “I’m sorry for frightening you. Rather, I’m extremely grateful for your help. Tell me, was that a Repel you just used?”

“Oh yes! I have some more that I’m trying to sell, too.”

“Sell?” asked the young man with the bow, now slung over his chest. “You have more?”

“Yes,” she said, showing them her bag. Both men looked shocked by what she was offering, and Sonia wondered what the hell happened to make her potions seem so interesting.

“How much?” the younger man asked.

“For all of these?”

“Yes.”

“I usually charge five silvers, but since I used one up then four is fine.”

Both men stared at her.

“That can’t be right,” the older man asked slowly. “We want _all_ the Potions and Repels, not just one. That must be closer to a gold for all ten, right?”

“Uhm, what?”

“One gold,” he repeated. “That sounds fair, right, Hop?”

“Absolutely. Here you go,” the younger man – Hop – agreed, and promptly pulled a gold coin from his pocket and dropped it in her hand. He moved like he was afraid she’d recant and not sell them at all.

But Sonia almost fainted. This was nearly 100 times more than what she could sell it for in Wedgehurst. She silently handed off all the potions, leaving her bag empty as Hop put them into one of the caravans. _What the hell is going on?_

“What’s your name, miss?”

“Sonia. Who are you?”

He looked a bit taken aback, as if he expected she’d recognize him. But he gave her a gracious smile and said, “I’m Leon Terrene, and this is my crew – the Black Charizard Freight Corps. We’re traveling to Motostoke, and you look like you’re traveling by yourself. Would you like to join us?”

She knew a gift from the gods when she saw one. “Absolutely!”

Leon waved to the young man with the double swords, now sheathed. “Victor, would you mind sitting with Miss Sonia as we bring her with us?”

Victor gave her a bright smile as he shook her hand. “Of course. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

“We’ll sit on the caravan you splattered with the Repel. The view’s phenomenal.”

That was how she met the Black Charizard Freight Corps, and the beginning of the rest of her new life.

* * *

“So that’s it. That’s what happened just before we met.”

There was a moment of stunned silence before Raihan spoke.

“It is a tale. Like a story to children. I almost cannot believe it,” Raihan said, staring at her with wide eyes before finally shaking his head. “Yet you do not seem to lie, and you speak such that I believe you. But now… I see why you fear being alone so much.”

She laid back on the ground, staring at the sky and not bothering to wipe away the tears that started to fall. It was just easier to let them flow as she remembered everything she lost. “I woke up by myself, in a darkness so thick I couldn’t breathe. My friends are dead. My shop in Wedgehurst is gone. My first house isn’t even stones on top of each other, and Gran’s grave is probably lost forever. My hometown is now part of the Wild Area. My world will never, _ever_ be the same again because this isn’t even the world I was supposed to see.”

But she took a shaky breath and added, “But I’m sure it pales in comparison to what you’ve been through, right? I must sound like a whiny baby because, hey, at least I never got kidnapped to another country, forced to work until I almost died, and then get bought by some random person who has no idea what she’s doing and is just kind of hoping things work out even though… even though there’s no evidence to support that things are going to be fine even though I’m trying really hard-,” and she couldn’t talk anymore because her hand was over her mouth to muffle her crying and her other arm went over her eyes so Raihan didn’t have to look at her like this.

 _He must think I’m weak,_ she thought, hating herself. _Weak weak weak. I’m afraid of being alone, I’m afraid of being unwanted, all I am is afraid of the future and I just can’t stop crying and I’m trying to hold it together Gran I really am but I don’t know how long I can do this I don’t think I can keep this up I need help please Gran please someone -_

“I have pain, but that does not mean you cannot.”

She peeked out from under her arm to look at Raihan. He was still sitting there with one knee propped up and supporting his arm, staring straight ahead like he could see another place she never knew. A place he’d rather be.

But he still offered his condolences, and Sonia appreciated it more than words. “Thank you.”

He waited to speak again until her cries had finally passed and she could breathe without a hiccup. “This is second time you shared your pain with me. I feel I should return your gift,” he said, turning his head and reaching a hand to her. “Do you want mine?”

“I told you that you could keep secrets.”

“I think… I would not mind. Because it is you.”

 _Oh gods, that’s too much._ Sonia tried to play it off as casually as possible. “My crying like a child cannot be _that_ important.”

“It is personal. When you shared your life, you did _djadut bamed._ To tie threads, like making cloth.”

Talking about this did the double duty of making her feel better while also allowing her to push away the curiosity of wanting his story because while he might be willing to make the offer, she wasn’t certain she deserved it. That being said, she did reach out with her not-snot-covered hand and held his. “I don’t think I understand. Can you tell me more?”

Raihan gave her a little squeeze before he spoke. “All life is made of _djan_. It is all. It is how we breathe, how we move. It is in our magic; in all we do. But it is not a moment. It is through time.”

“Like Galar Particles?”

“Perhaps. Like blood, and soul.”

This was getting to be a little much for Sonia, and she wiped her eyes and sat up to better pay attention. “So you spread it around?”

“More it is…,” and he let go of her hand, and summoned a small ball of energy. “ _Djan_. But also,” and he pulled the energy so that it made a thin string. “Both are _djan_. I have it. You have it.”

Sonia got the hint, and made her own little ball of energy, and gently stretched it out between her hands. Hers was a vivid yellow while his was a deep orange-red.

“You have life from born to now, and so I. When you tell me of yourself,” and he gestured, and she brought her thread closer, “your life is not trapped only in you. It is shared. This is _djadut bamed_.”

With a little concentration, she flicked off a line of energy that met his fire. There was a small burst of sound when they met, but then he sent one back to her. It created a very odd ladder with only two rungs – but Sonia got the idea. “So it’s not just meeting someone that matters. It’s the knowing them as a person that shares _djan_.”

“Yes. Because you are more than a moment, more than being born or being alchemist. The man who bought other Pasaari-”

“Rose.”

“I do not share my _djan_ with Rose though his actions affected me. I have not shared it with anyone from here.” He shook the magic into the atmosphere, and Sonia did the same with hers. Then he put his hand on her cheek, gently making her meet his eyes. “But I would with you.”

She didn’t lean away from the touch. “But it’ll hurt to talk about, won’t it?”

“I think yes.”

“I don’t want to hurt you again. I’d rather… can I ask for something else?”

A nod, his thumb still tracing an invisible pattern on her skin, and she continued. “Every day, tell me something about yourself. Start small; a food you like, a color you like, as long as it’s about you. We’ll work up to bigger things – your family, your life in Pasaar, and so forth. And once you are really ready, you can give me your story. And I’d be glad to hear it.”

He smiled now, a crooked little thing that made the fang peek through, and Sonia found herself very fond of the look.

“Then, I will tell you that I like this color,” and Raihan reached over and took a handful of her ponytail, playing it between his fingers. “I have never seen one like you.”

“Thank you,” she blushed. Great, now he was making her feel shy all over again. “And to be fair, I’ve never seen someone like you, either.”

Then he said something to her in Pasaari, and even though she didn’t understand the words, the innuendo and look in his eyes gave away the intention.

She looked at him in disbelief. “You’re always so self-contained. I’d never guess you were the sort of man who enjoyed flirting.”

“Flirting?”

Of course that would be the one word he didn’t recognize. “Speaking flattering words to someone you, ah, find attractive so you can try… knowing them more intimately,” she explained, the words coming out slowly by the end.

Now he smiled more broadly. “Ah, yes. Enjoy it greatly. Do you?”

“I wouldn’t know. It didn’t happen much,” she replied, probably a little more tartly than the moment deserved, then shook her head and batted his hand from her hair. “We should probably head back to the Inn. The Corps are setting off soon.”

But he didn’t want to be deterred, and took one of her hands. “I said I like you, and you to me. Why are you angry?”

“I’m not,” Sonia said, but knew she couldn’t _not_ tell him her worries. “I just don’t understand how you can feel so free with your affection when I’m your…,” and he didn’t fill in the word so she was forced to grit out, “master.”

“I am less likely to forget then you,” he said, showing off the brand for a moment.

“Why doesn’t this bother you? Because it bothers me.”

“It does.”

“Wait, what?”

“I do not like being owned. But it does not keep me from feeling for you.”

She needed to get to the heart of this problem, and fast. Too bad it was going to sound incredibly obscene. _Well, rip off the bandage as fast as you can._

“Raihan,” and she held both his hands as she spoke, “I like you, and I am definitely attracted to you… but I can’t be intimate with you until you’re free of the Contract. I’m not even sure I should be _kissing_ you because part of me is worried that I’m treating you like a sex slave and not a person. Like your previous owners. And doing anything that makes me into one of them is not a line I’m going to cross.”

“You have not.”

“That’s reassuring, but I’ve only had a week to completely ruin everything. And that’s another thing – how in the world are you so certain about wanting me when we’ve only known each other for a handful of days?”

Now he hesitated, but it was more that he seemed to be searching for words. “I have… something I know. I have decided to trust in knowing.”

Sonia rolled the phrase around. “Do you mean like hope? Or faith?”

“What is those?”

“Oh good gods I don’t think I have the ability to explain philosophical terms. I’m an alchemist, not a priestess, so we’re just going to have to settle for ‘knowing’.”

“My knowing is why I am willing to be truthful about my heart.”

But she was not willing to bend, not on this. So there had to be a compromise. “Give me the one month I asked for yesterday. Give me time to try and break the Contract, and for us to figure out if this,” and she gestured to their joined hands, “is really the right thing.” She paused for a second, then added, “Please.”

A snort of amusement. “You are an odd woman. But I will. With one ask.” When she nodded for him to continue, he said, “I like kissing you. I want to keep doing that.”

That was toeing the line, but there had to be _some_ give from her side since he was technically a grown man who was capable of making his own decisions, even if they were undermined by the contract. “Yes. Within reason.”

“Good,” and he leaned forward and kissed her and really, she should have expected it but she didn’t so there was a little bit of a shock when it happened. Couldn’t deny that it felt good, actually great, to have someone who was so open about his interest and his touch. Men from her time were much more restrained in their expressions, so this Raihan – the one who was ready to be open and not the one still wearing his slave skin – was a rather refreshing (if intimidating) change.

But then they parted, and she let out a sigh. “Now, for certain, we should head back. I promised I would say goodbye to everyone, and we should.”

They put everything away and locked up the house before trekking back north to the central region. It was a quiet walk, but Sonia had a thought partway there.

“Now that I know you speak Galarian… how do you want me to treat you?”

He gave it some thought before saying, “My words are secret.”

Sonia found that she didn’t mind the idea; in a way, it made their relationship look distant in front of everyone else while keeping something desperately private between them.

When they returned to the Inn, and saw the team packing up and getting ready to leave, she waved to Victor. He grinned and waved back.

“Good timing,” he said when the duo got closer. “We’re heading off as soon as Gloria comes back with some Rapidash.”

“Rapidash? I thought you had Mudsdales.”

“We rent our animals. And since we have the Repels you sold us, we can trade defense for speed. I mean, me and Gordie will be ready to fight no matter what, but you’ve saved us time _and_ skin.”

“You guys helped me, too,” she said with a grin. “And I hope you stay safe out there.”

Hop came around and slung an arm over her shoulders. Damn, the kid was at least as tall as Leon. “The next time you come back, your store will be open, right? So we can expect a deal if we come on by?”

They laughed, and she gave her best to all the other members as Gloria arrived with the new ride animals. And when she saw Leon she suddenly felt very self-conscious over the fact that she just kissed him the previous night, but all he did was smile and offer his gratitude again.

“I already told Victor this, but I hope you all stay safe. It would be awful if my first friends in Motostoke got hurt.”

“We will. We saved some of the Repels from the sale, so we should be able to make it back without a problem. And both Turffield and Hulbury are generally safe to travel, so I don’t forsee a reason why we will take too long to return.”

She pulled a TM out from her bag. “This is a spell for strength. If you are trapped and your team needs a little extra power for a fight, just toss it up and say ‘Swords Dance’. I’m sure you won’t need it, but… think of it like a little extra luck.”

He took it almost delicately, and gave a laugh of disbelief before carefully folding and placing it under his armor. “You don’t cease to amaze me, Sonia. Thank you. We don’t normally use TMs because they are expensive and difficult to craft, but I’m grateful. It will be my talisman.”

And now the Corps were getting into the saddle or into the caravans, clean and waiting and packed with new supplies, and Sonia realized it was goodbye for real. A thread of fear ran through her blood _they’re leaving they’re leaving they might never come back_ but she smiled through it. “Take care out there.”

“Thank you,” and he bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then he turned to Raihan, saw that he was wearing the sword, and nodded. “Take care of her.”

All he did was bend his head in respect, and Leon was satisfied with that simple answer. He got into one of the caravans, did something to the machine, and it let out a roar of anger. Sonia jumped back in surprise, and Raihan coughed to cover his amusement, as Piers did the same to the second and Marnie repeated in the third. Victor, Hop, and Gordie were on Rapidashes with their weapons easily accessible; Gloria sat beside Marnie, while Bede was with Leon. The animal-less machines led the way down the road towards the northwestern gate, followed by the riders, and Sonia watched them go until there wasn’t even a trail of dust to follow.

“I don’t like this,” she whispered to the air. “I’m so scared that something is going to happen to them. I’m so scared they’ll never come back.”

Raihan put a hand on her shoulder, silent support that she hadn’t expected but was glad to have. It was enough to help her straighter herself and say, “We’ll see them again. I’m sure of it. But for now, let’s go eat and get some rest. It’s been a long, hard day.”

And when they walked into the Inn, they walked together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (11/23/2020): And now we know who Sonia was before the story.
> 
> This is where the story takes a pretty sharp turn away from "The Alchemist Who Survived", so anyone who has read the source material will notice a particular lack of connection between this and the book. Hopefully, though, my readers will still enjoy the upcoming chapters and events that transpire. 😊
> 
> Please leave a message; I love hearing from you guys!


	11. Reconstruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 11: “That is different. Not personal. They do not want your heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DezyPhresh for her beta efforts. There's quite a bit of work she's put into reading this. Hugs!

As per usual, Raihan was the first one awake the next morning. This time, when she woke up, she could smell something brewing in the background. She opened her eyes and saw him pouring into two cups, and he offered a subtle smile as he carried the steaming cups over.

“Good morning, Sonia,” he said, sitting on her bed. “Yache _chaa_. Tea.”

“Smells lovely,” she said as she sat up; the tartness was almost palpable, and when she took a sip, she felt it running down her throat like hot ice. “Oh, that _is_ lovely. Thank you.”

“I asked Melony for making tea, and she gave me this.”

“You asked her?! In Galarian?”

“In bad Galarian. Lots of pointing and,” and he started gesturing vaguely to indicate ‘pouring tea’.

Sonia let out a giggle. “Well, as long as you got the point across. What prompted this wake-up treat, though?”

“In Pasaar, it is custom to drink _chaa_ in morning before food.”

Her gaze darted back to him. “A nugget of information? This early in the morning? What’s set you into such a generous mood?”

“Do you want truth?” he asked.

“Well, of course.”

“It is just you and me. No one else to… get between.”

“Well, there are going to be a few people around today. We’re getting the carpenters coming by the house, for one.”

“That is different. Not personal. They do not want your heart.”

Sonia took another sip of the tea to hide her face; the bluntness by which he spoke was jarring against her mental image of him being so quiet. _This is going to take some time getting used to._

“When do you have to leave for training?”

“I do not. It is StarDay.”

“Oh, so we can take our time this morning!”

“That was my intent.”

It was weird; he was sitting on her bed, dressed only in his sleeping trousers and had a hand between her blanket-covered legs, but he was also leaning back and drinking his tea with peacefully closed eyes like this was casual routine for them. There was both tension and quiet in the room.

_Just let it be,_ she told herself. _Just_ be _._

“I like this. Let’s do tea every morning. I mean, _chaa_.”

He nodded, a little smile against the cup.

“You know,” she said, “when the carpenters arrive, I’m going to ask them to make some new furniture along with fixing the house. So… if there’s something you want, I’d like to know.”

“It has been so long that I do not know what I could want.”

“Well, I was already thinking of getting you a bedframe and mattress, for starters.”

“I would prefer to share yours.”

She knew it was coming; she fucking _knew_ he was going to say that. “No. I want you to have a room that is yours. A place that’s safe for you to be you, that’s safe from intrusion.” She took the last sip of her tea before saying, “In my time, some married couples had separate rooms for their own interests, and even for sleeping. I thought it was silly – why get married just to be apart – but I understand it better now. I can appreciate giving someone I care about the time to be just ‘me’ instead of ‘we’. And we aren’t even a ‘we’ yet.”

He had to take a few minutes to parse through the phrase because of the complicated pronouns. Finally, he said, “I am not sure I know all of that, but I think… I thank you for my room.”

“Then, I’ll also get you a chest for your clothes. And we have to buy you more, of course! You need an outfit that will withstand all the fighting you’re doing. Oh, do you need a weapon? You have Leon’s sword, but I remember Mustard mentioning something about another weapon.”

“I would like a spear, but I do not know where I could buy.”

“Me neither. Oh well. I’ll think of other things in the meantime.” She put the cup on the floor and stretched. “I suppose we should dress and get breakfast.”

She could tell that he wanted to protest, the way his eyes looked her up and down and his hand seemed itching to crawl upwards, but instead he simply nodded. She narrowed her eyes at him. “What?”

“I am sure you know what I think,” he said slyly, grabbing her cup and taking both to the table.

It was a little disconcerting that he was using her expectations against her. She knew he still had knee-jerk slave obedience, but he had also become less reserved when they were alone, and thought he might follow through with moving the moment towards something warm despite her words. Had maybe wanted him to, now that there was some implicit permission.

By the look on his face, he knew it too.

“I’d call you a bad name, but you’d probably take it personally,” she grumped, getting out of bed and stalking into the bathing room. “For that, you can clean up of the cups and pot while I wash.”

“Yes, Mistress,” and the tone of his voice from behind her was warm oil on her skin, and Sonia slammed the door shut because she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her blush. _Again_.

She cleaned up and tossed on the yellow-purple dress, the only outfit not in desperate need of a wash. But as she was combing her hair, she decided to try something different. Instead of tying it into the usual one-sided ponytail, she parted her hair on one side and braided over and around her head. Once done, she tucked the end underneath the braid’s beginning and firmly pinned it into a crown that kept the hair off her neck.

So when she came out of the bathing room, wearing a new dress with her hair pulled up, Raihan actually did a double take. Now _that_ was satisfying.

“Do I look all right?” she asked, grabbing her mirror and checking the braid in sunlight.

“Yes,” he said while looking her up and down before poking her hair with a curious finger. “Is it woman’s magic? My sisters did many things with hair that I could not understand, and they told me no man could perform.”

Sonia let out a laugh; the thought of him being teased by sisters was a sweet thought. “I doubt it’s specifically women’s magic. Just practice.”

“Still, it is lovely,” he said, and ran a finger up her spine and over her exposed neck. She let out a shiver at the sensation, and he replied with a hum of approval. “Lovely.”

A kiss at the back of her neck, warm and soft, and Sonia leaned right back into him before her brain could catch up. He gently bit her ( _Is this a thing?)_ before saying, “I will be done soon.” And he took his leave into the bathing room while Sonia yelled soundlessly at the closed door.

“He is going to drive me to excesses,” she muttered to herself before grabbing all the dirty clothes and heading outside. After spinning them in a large transmutation vessel, with some laundry soap shavings and Sassy mint, she dried them out and folded up everything. They would probably need to bunk at the Budew Drop Inn for another week or so while the house was repaired and furniture was built, so no point in packing things up.

When she came back inside, a gentleman with dark blond hair and deep blue-green eyes was standing behind the counter. “Where’s Melony?”

“Oh, she’s sleeping in for once,” he said with a smile. “I’m Hosea.”

“So you’re the magician in the kitchen,” she said, and he laughed. “I’m new to Motostoke, and your food was the first I’d had. It’s really delicious.”

“Thank you, miss. Warms my heart to hear that. Now, what can I get you?”

“Breakfast for myself and my…,” _oh hells I don’t know what to call him think fast think fast think fast,_ “companion. I’d like to take it upstairs rather than eat down here.”

“I can whip you up some eggs, toast, and Swinub ham if you like.”

“Yes, thank you.”

In less than ten minutes, he had two plates full of food. “I’ll be back down for some drinks in a bit.”

“Would Moomoo milk be all right?”

“That would be perfect,” and she headed upstairs. Raihan was finishing up – she could hear the water running out of the tub – and went down for the last things. She put ten silvers on the counter, and Hosea gave her a puzzled look. “I think we’ll be here for one more week. I just bought a house and it needs some fixing up.”

“It’s only a silver a day, food included.”

“Consider it a thank you for such good food. It… it made me feel like home,” and that was no lie because she remembered the way her Gran used to cook and while the taste wasn’t the same, the feeling was. She grabbed the two glasses and silverware, leaving Hosea bemused behind her.

When she walked in, Raihan was already out and tying up his hair. “What is this?”

“Breakfast.”

“We have one chair.”

“If you drag the table from the wall and put it here, you can sit on the chair and I’ll take the bed.”

He did it, and soon they were sitting across from each other and eating their breakfast in peace. When they were finished, she leaned back on the bed and said, “I already mentioned that you’ll have your own room, but… I want to remind you that it’s your house, too. If there is something that you have an opinion on that you think will help when the carpenters arrive, I’d like for you to say something.”

“I doubt there is much I can offer.”

“But…,” and her gaze darted everywhere while she tried to find words. Finally, she said, “You say you want to stay, even if I manage to break the contract. Well, if I do that then you won’t be a slave – you’ll be someone else. And that someone else deserves to feel at home wherever he is. And frankly, Slave Raihan should have that, too.”

He leaned back too, licking his lips before saying, “I… have not been me in years. And I do not know if I can make that change now.”

“You will, even if it takes time. But just remember what I said, all right? Think about yourself for a change.”

“I… yes.”

“Good,” and she stood up to stack the dishes. While he was trapped in his head, not really looking at anything, Sonia bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. The surprise touch made him startle, but she just smiled and said, “I’ll be back, and then we can go home.”

She left him in the dust as she took everything down to Hosea, and when she came back up, Raihan has moved the table and chair back in place, packed her bag, held out her cloak, and stood waiting for her.

“If you keep this up, I’ll start getting spoiled,” she said as they headed back to the house.

“Spoiled?”

A moment to think, then she said, “Indulged to excesses.”

He mused on the phrase for a moment before saying, “Would you like that?”

Sonia was not expecting that question. “I suppose so. It would be nice to be treated like a queen for a day, though.” She tossed her head and strode ahead of Raihan, swirling her dress like she was wearing a gown for a ball. “Imagine me looking all fancy! A dig-in-the-mud, wash-her-own-clothes, make-her-own-glass woman like me? Unbelievable, right?”

When she turned around to look at him, there was a funny look he was wearing; almost a wistful smile, something like a dream in his eyes. “Not so to me.”

_I made things weird again, didn’t I?_ she thought to herself, and she just started walking normally in front of him as she babbled out her ideas. “Well if I want to be indulged, I need money. In order to get more, I need to start making some medicines and things. I mean, Leon and the others want my Items, which is great, but they won’t be back for a little while. I could start crafting ahead of time, which is not a bad idea, and maybe start the rolling orders for Kabu.”

She kept up the banter as they walked because she just didn’t know what to do with the awkwardness she kept inducing into their conversations. _Dear gods, will I ever learn how to talk without shoving a foot into my mouth? Just a week and I still cannot be a normal person around him._

When they arrived to the house, Sonia kicked her nerves to the curb as she started floating through the rooms and deciding what she wanted. An hour later, there was a knock at the door. Raihan opened it, and two men were standing there.

“Morning, lady,” a gentleman said, tipping his hat and taking it off. Next to him was a man about a decade younger than Sonia, carrying a clipboard and a pen. “My name is Kaj, and this is my son Alon. We’ll be working with you to fix up your house.”

“Wonderful!” she said with a broad smile. “I have a few things I want to talk about. Most specifically, I want to turn this area into a storefront.”

Sonia then started waxing poetic about her ideas, and the two men stood and nodded and as she walked them around the rest of the first floor. Finally, they took a break in the parlor room.

“You have some very interesting ideas, Miss Sonia,” Kaj said, which she automatically translated to ‘that’s some right proper Tauros-shit you’ve got in mind and I’m gonna have to correct you’. But at least he was nice about it. “It won’t be a problem to turn this section of the house into your new pharmacy, but I think it’ll be a little more work than you’re hoping for if you want to do it your way. How about instead of making these two separate rooms, we knock down the doorway here, remove the pantry and make it your countertop, and push back where your storage is into the dining room? We’ll also improve the lighting by adding similar bay windows in this section.”

Sonia had no concept of proper architecture, so she was more than happy to take their advice. They were very respectful of her vision, and after some time discussing things, the two men seemed to come to a good agreement on the work that would have to be done. Then they moved to the rest of the house.

“We will update your kitchen – since the store will flow into the now-dining-room – and elongate it for a breakfast nook. It’s just you two, right?”

“Right.”

“We’ll also put a locking door between the kitchen and dining room, for privacy. You’ll need quite a bit of furniture.”

“I have a whole list ready for you.”

The group headed upstairs, and Sonia made a whole litany of requests. Alon was taking stock and keeping track of costs; she could parse things out later.

“How about this room?”

They stood outside what-would-be-Raihan’s room. Knowing that he didn’t intend to do much talking, she said, “A large bed frame, a nightstand, and a chest for clothes. And I think that’s it unless-”

“A rough table.”

Sonia turned her head just a hairsbreadth to look at him, but he was looking at the room. “Rough table?” Kaj asked.

“Yes. Something that would not get hurt from weapons.”

Alon let out a breath. “Oh, you want something unfinished. An adventurer’s table.”

“Yes. Is good?”

“Might be the cheapest thing to make. Just need some wood scraps,” Kaj said wryly, then gestured at Raihan’s sword. “You want a mount for anything?”

He thought for a moment. “Spear. Sword.”

“We’ll make a wall mount. You can expand it if necessary.”

“And…,” and he hesitated and looked at Sonia. When she gestured, ‘go on’, he added, “Do you make prayer tables?”

“Never heard of them.”

“About this big. This tall. Dip towards center for water, but middle with high part for fire,” he explained, his hands dancing as he outlined the shape of what he wanted.

The two men glanced at each other. “We can cobble something together,” Kaj nodded.

“Thank you,” and he did look genuinely grateful.

Sonia got a few more pieces for the alchemy workroom. When Alon added up the costs, it was going to drain her savings pretty dry. She’d be down to her last four golds and fifty silvers after all this.

“It’ll take us at least ten days to complete the repairs. Do you mind if we hire some extra hands to help?”

“Certainly. Whatever makes your life easier.”

“Then, come on back next StarDay for a formal update, though you’re welcome to visit any time. Furniture will take longer to trickle in. Do you mind if we get some secondhand items from the royals or aristocrats? Might be cheaper for you.”

“Fine with me. Can I pay as things arrive?”

“Yes, though we do ask for two golds now to make sure you won’t skimp on the pay later.”

Sonia pulled out the coins and handed them to Alon, who made all sorts of markings on his paper. “Then, if you don’t mind, we can get started right now.”

“Oh wow, yes that would be wonderful. We can make ourselves scarce,” Sonia said, carefully shooing Raihan out the door as wood and rock magic began to dance from the craftsmen’s hands. “This is so exciting! It’s going to be an amazing store! Oh! I better get started crafting some medicines and the like! Maybe I should do some scouting, check out the product qualities.”

And then she was on the move, forcing Raihan to trail after her (even though one of his steps was easily two of hers). She still had her list of stores from Fauna and went to each one with a particular vigor. She did a little magical evaluation of their make-up and found that only one store _didn’t_ use toxic lead or arsenic or the like in their products.

“Your make-up looks a little different than make-up from other stores,” Sonia said to the owner, going for the ingénue act.

“It should be,” the owner said, holding her head up. “I don’t use any of those poisonous ingredients in my goods. Yeah, they’re more expensive and might not be so dramatic on the skin, but they won’t kill my customers.”

Sonia liked her immediately. “Then, I’d like to buy some.” She left with some foundation, blush, and lipstick. The woman – Pearl – had even been kind enough to let her try some on so she could pick her preferred colors, and they were spot-on. She turned to Raihan as they walked to the open-air market. “What do you think? Looks nice?”

“Yes. You look different today. I like you as you are, but the change is… attractive.”

She couldn’t help but grin. “Maybe I’ll get more later. Just to impress you.”

“I am not sure how to respond to that. Should I say you do not need to impress me, or I would like it?”

Now a laugh. “Don’t worry about it. It’s my fault for baiting you. Though Nessa would probably tell me to keep it up and keep you on your toes.” A moment, and she looked down at the jar of lipstick in her fingers before putting it in the bag. “Nessa sold cosmetics along with her alchemy Items. I didn’t care much for my looks when I was younger, but she taught me how to love myself at a time when I really didn’t, and that make-up helped others see what was already here. Maybe that’s why I love fashion so much.”

“She sounds like she was good.”

“She was great. I miss her spirit, her spunk, her sass. Gods, I feel like a lot of my life from now on is going to be me looking for ways to hold onto my past.” She paused before looking up at him. “Is this how you feel? Like you’re looking for things to help remember your life before slavery?”

A deep sigh. “I could not, but not from lack of caring. I could keep nothing.”

“Oh. Well… if there’s something that strikes a chord, let me know.”

“I will try to remember.”

They came back to the open-air market area, and Sonia went on the hunt for baking ingredients. She bought a bag of pastry flour, crystalized honey-sugar and sugar beets, vanillin, starch, Moomoo milk and butter, salt, and Rookidee eggs. She also bought some roseli berries that were so fresh she started bouncing on her toes as the farmer put them in a little box.

“What are this for?” Raihan asked as they headed back to the Inn; no point in going to the house until construction was complete.

“I’m going to start a few projects, and these are the magic ingredient,” she said, popping a berry in her mouth and shivering with delight. “Mmmm, so good. Here!”

She pulled the stem from another roseli berry and held it up for Raihan. His arms were full of ingredients, so he just bent down and she carefully put it in his mouth, an action that she didn’t give a second thought. She did come to attention, however, when he gave her finger a long lick and sent a tingle through her hand. “That is delicious. Sweet,” he smiled after he finished the berry.

There were not words for how she felt, and she just nodded and kept walking while trying not to trip over herself. _Wow. Oh wow._

“Sonia? Are you well?”

“I’m fine,” she said faintly. “Just… fine.”

He didn’t push, which was just as well because she had no idea if something was actually wrong, but they made it back to the Inn with no further tongue-induced events. When they got upstairs, she then divvied up the ingredients in order.

Raihan frowned. “Are you going to cook?”

“Yes! I have a great recipe for cookies that I used to sell, and I want to see if my skills are still up to par.”

He paused, then asked, “Without kitchen? Or will you use one?”

“I’ll use alchemy!”

“… Have you been wanting that question?”

“Oh absolutely!” she grinned at him, beyond amused. “I want all your questions. But I’m going to access my Library, so give me just a minute before asking another one. **Library Link.** ”

The “Cooking” section was after the “Pharmacy” section, and she pulled a recipe book on baking with alchemic skills, though not necessarily requiring infusion of Galar Particles. The items produced often had secondary benefits – improved blood flow, a good night’s sleep, so forth and so on. The cookies she intended to make today had the benefit of reducing fatigue in anyone who ate them. She mentally held onto the recipe as she came out from the Library.

“All right, then. Do me a favor, Raihan, and wash the roseli berries, then remove their stems. I’ll use them in a bit.”

He called a little water by magic as she went to work. First, she took the two fistfuls of honey-sugar and ground them up into a fine powder, then set it aside. Next came the “oven”. **“Form transmutation vessel. Temperature to 450,”** and moved it away to prevent her or Raihan from accidentally burning themselves. Then she made another transmutation vessel and tossed in some flour, salt, and starch until she had a homogenous blend.

In a third vessel, she threw in some butter and gently raised the temperature until it was soft enough to mix with the powdered sugar. They mixed for a few minutes while she added the vanillin, then melded this vessel with the flour-blend vessel until they were softly combined into a well-shaped ball. **“Decrease temperature to 275,”** and continued to gently roll it while chilling the dough. Then she turned to Raihan, who had the roseli berries ready and waiting. “Thank you. Can you magically grind them?”

“That is beyond my skills,” he said almost regretfully.

Sonia tilted her head. _I wonder…._ “Okay, can you make a vessel like I do? Here, feel this. **Form transmutation vessel.** ” And she made a small one, barely bigger than her hand, and held it up for him to touch. “Think of a vessel like your hands. They can change shape though they’re solid. Give it a try.”

He bounced it on his palm, brow furrowed in concentration, and Sonia carefully took the berries from him. She made a final transmutation vessel and dumped all but one of them inside. **“Crush,”** and the berries were flattened and mixed into a jam-like consistency. A little bit of sugar blended with them, and a tiny bite to taste test ( _ah, that’s perfect!_ ) before she started to make the cookies proper. She pulled out a bit of cool dough about the size as a circle made with her middle finger touching her thumb. A little press with her thumb to the center, a pinch of the jam into the divot, and she popped it into the ‘oven’ still waiting on the side. She repeated it for a dozen more cookies, watching them for browning, while she also kept an eye on Raihan.

He was making a rather weak version of her own vessel, but he tried a few more times until he seemed satisfied with the quality. Sonia gave it a little poke, found it a bit firmer than her own, but it would do.

“Perfect. Now, grind this up for me,” and she tossed him the roseli berry. A little more thinking to get a hole into the vessel, but then he had the berry inside. She went back to baking, and the first batch was ready to come out. She placed them on a flat vessel, allowing them to float in mid-air, and added another dozen cookies to the ‘oven’.

Then Raihan let out a curse, or at least that’s what it sounded like. When she looked at him, the roseli berry was well crushed – and leaking out from the vessel. She quickly made a bowl-like vessel underneath to catch the dripping jam, but he still had some juice and pulp on his hand.

“Well, you did it!” she grinned at him. “Thanks!”

“Not good,” he said with a slight growl.

“Have you ever done this before?”

“No.”

“Then don’t worry!” and she added the berry to her pile. “Give me your hand.”

Knee-jerk obedience, and Sonia didn’t give herself the chance to think twice before she repaid his hard work by sticking the longest berry-covered finger into her mouth and sucking the juice right off. Raihan let out a strangled sound as her tongue swirled around to collect all the juice, and she slid his finger out with a little ‘pop’ for good effect.

“You’re right. It tastes better that way,” she said with a sly look upwards.

It took him a few seconds to finally say, “I am not certain I will be able to hold back from you for month. I am comforted in knowing you are also having difficulty doing same.”

She didn’t turn around, focusing on taking out the next batch and placing the final dozen into the ‘oven’. “I know I like you, even though it almost scares me because it feels so fast. But while I won’t go too far,” she gave him a look from the corner of her eye, “the fact that you don’t seem to mind me being so bold has been… exciting.”

“Exciting. Good,” and she heard the slight smile in his voice as he decided to go wash his hands rather than perpetuate their game.

The cooled cookies were tossed in a little blizzard of powdered sugar, and she carefully set them down in the basket previously used for roseli berries. When the final batch came out, cooled, and dusted, she held one out to Raihan.

“Here. Give it a try,” she said, and he took the bite-sized cookie as Sonia ate one herself.

The first thing that hit was the melt-in-your-mouth quality that made this cookie so popular, spreading over her tongue with the rich buttery flavor that was suddenly tempered by the vanilla sugar warmth. When she bit down, the roseli berry jam jumped up and almost caught her off-guard with its sweetness. Because she was trained to look for it, Sonia felt a slight tingle against her tongue that had nothing to do with flavor and everything to do with magic.

Because all berries, regardless of flavor or type, had some Galar Particles naturally infused in them. It wasn’t a lot – certainly not enough to make Potions or the like without alchemy boosting their natural efficacy – but if someone knew how to use them, they could induce minor healing or status improvements.

In this case, roseli berries helped give a boost of energy to someone in need, and Sonia didn’t need to do anything more complicated than bake a batch of cookies.

_Success! Oh wait!_ “Raihan, do you like it?”

He nodded vigorously before swallowing. “Yes! Wow! I am… feel like I want to go out and battle! Ride into war!”

_Definite success. And since we have nothing but time…,_ “So how do you feel about running around Motostoke dropping off cookies for potential customers?”

“I would like chance to run.”

They spent the rest of the day handing out cookies, starting with the Melony’s family and spreading out to Milo, the merchants who sold her baking supplies, and ultimately arriving at the Guilds. They first went to visit Master Vallis and Don and a few other pharmacists, who were each delighted by the gift, and then to see Mustard. He was less enthused, probably because he didn’t seem to care much for her, but he took one anyway. His underlings appreciated them more so that was a win.

Finally, they went back to the house. From the little she could see, it looked like they had already knocked down some of the non-weight-bearing walls and were starting to set up the framing. Sonia gave the rest of the basket to Kaj, Alon, and their hired help. The men thanked her with bright smiles and returned to work with renewed vigor.

By this time, the sun was starting to fall and her stomach gave a warning growl. Dinner was a casual affair at the Inn, and apparently the assistance of the cookie inspired Hosea to offer a third option for dinner instead of his usual two. They enthusiastically ate in the noisy tavern, her chatting away about additional items she wanted to start producing, and where she was going to find the containers, and all sorts of details that needed to be actualized, while he nodded or frowned or offered a casual comment here or there.

Honestly… it was the first time that this _time_ felt right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (11/30/2020): More slice-of-life, and lots of alone time for these two. What could possibly happen?!
> 
> So I'm probably going to keep pounding out these chapters (at the expense of my other stories forgive me 🙏🏼) for the next month-ish. I've been totally hit with the Writing Bug, which doesn't always happen, so I might as well roll with it. Thanks to everyone who's reading and commenting. I really enjoy having you guys come to visit, and love hearing from you.


	12. Coupling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 12: “If you are having a hard time to remember me, I will give you something to remember.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't often mention warnings because I don't like to give away what's going to happen in a chapter, but I will mention a content warning for sexual discussions. Grown ups talking about grown up things, so tread a little carefully if you are sensitive to such things.
> 
> Thanks to my beta-reader DezyPhresh. She -really- enjoyed this chapter. 😏

SunDay was spent like the previous day, with them buying supplies for her store in the morning and making items in the afternoon. They also made an indulgent run to a slightly higher-end clothing store so both of them could get measured. Sonia bought more skirts-shirts-pants while Raihan finally had the chance to get some quality outfits. Now, he had dark blue pants with an orange line on the hems that tucked into his boots, with the cuffs actually coming down to his ankles instead of halfway to his calves. She also got him a short-sleeved matching shirt with a crisscross tie near the collar that gave a peek at dark brown skin beneath – including the brand, which he didn’t seem bothered about. Overall, the clothes fit him well enough that she could see the shape of his body beneath it.

_A really nice body, now that he’s eating and drinking like a normal person._

But the sight of the brand bothered her because it became the focus for everyone’s eyes, and that was unacceptable. She insisted he try on a short leather jacket made of well-tanned Tauros hide, and since it folded over itself and tied on the side, it covered his chest ( _pity_ ) but hid the brand. A pair of dark blue fingerless gloves, a deep orange head wrap, and two additional leather belts – one of which had a pouch, the other for a future sword holster that _wasn’t_ Leon’s – and Sonia was very happy with how this trip turned out.

Then she asked the shopgirl about training outfits, and she sent them up to the Adventurers Guild, which was rather serendipitous. Sonia asked the front desk about getting him something to wear while he sparred, and apparently they kept a stock of outfits that were created with the intention of getting beat up. Magic was woven through them to prevent cuts or tears while also being easy to clean. While Raihan was getting fitted, Sonia bolstered herself and went for a walk.

She found Mustard exactly where she expected him to be, sitting in the training field and watching a class of teenagers spar. “Master Mustard,” she opened.

“Yeah?”

“I need your help.”

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Yes,” and she wasn’t quite sure how to explain this, but she dove in anyway. “Raihan is training with you, and he should eventually become ranked within the Guild, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So he should have a weapon that’s his, right?”

“At some point. He keeps breaking my goddamn practice spears.”

Sonia bit her tongue to keep from smiling. “Then, can I ask for your help in buying him a high-quality spear? Something that won’t break, and he can use for the rest of his life?”

Mustard slowly nodded. “I can get something made. Won’t be cheap, though.”

“That’s fine.”

“Then I’ll talk to a weaponsmith and get you a price. Come back with him on SeasDay and I’ll tell you.”

She debated whether or not she should tell Raihan about this intended gift and realized that Mustard was going to do whatever the hell he wanted so she should just leave it to chance.

“When is he finished with his training?”

“Give me a week to sharpen his skills, then he can apply for ranking.”

When she went back out, Raihan had a new set of yellow-and-black clothes in his arms. Sonia paid the amount and they headed back to the Inn for dinner and well-deserved rest.

“What are we doing tomorrow?” he asked as they sat on their respective beds, winding down the day.

“Well, I’ve bought some mini jars for ointments and lotions, a new knife for cutting up soap, and I can make some non-alchemy bottles for liquid medicine and the like. So I’d like to go into the Wild Area again for some alchemy and pharmaceutical ingredients. But…,” and she glanced at his sword, “it might mean getting some parts of a monster or two. Being in danger.”

“We will be well. And what you need, I will bring.”

She didn’t doubt that for a moment.

* * *

She had all these grand plans to go out, catch some monsters, gather some herbs and plants, and start getting to work on making her store again. Of course, there’s the old saying – humans plan, gods laugh.

It was raining for the first time since she’d woken up in this century, and not a gentle spring rain. It was falling down like a sheet of water; there was no way she was going out in _that_ nonsense.

“Well, this is perfect,” she snarked at the window, then saw Raihan getting dressed in the training clothes. “Oh, right. You have to go practice with Mustard. I’m sorry, I must sound whiny.”

“The rain does not bother me. I enjoy storms,” he shrugged, then grabbed his sword, holstered it on his belt, and, with a silver for a meal, went on his way.

 _Well, I suppose that leaves me to myself for a bit_.

So Sonia spent the first hour lazily eating breakfast while reading up on Pasaari; she had mentally promised herself to learn more, and now was as good a time as any. Back up in her room, she tried to do some simple lifestyle magic with Pasaari words, but it didn’t work. Perhaps she wasn’t pronouncing them right, or perhaps she didn’t understand the nuances, or perhaps the magic didn’t cross cultures. In any case, she’d have to wait for Raihan to return before trying again.

When Raihan didn’t come back at the hour mark, which was of zero surprise because Mustard didn’t believe in a schedule, Sonia decided that she might as well brave the rain by herself. Her cloak and boots were waterproof, so she made the slightly questionable decision to wear a skirt – with no leggings. _They’ll just get soaked anyway,_ she reminded herself, pushing down any residual embarrassment as she wrapped her cloak around herself, buttoned it up, and headed out into the rain. Ten minutes later, with a little bit of wind magic to help redirect the rain away, Sonia arrived at Milo’s store.

“Well, don’t you look like something the Meowth dragged in,” he said, gently teasing the soaked alchemist. “I’m impressed you made it through the storm.”

“Perhaps not my finest moment. You’re stuck with me until the rain starts to let up,” she said with a groan, wringing the water out of her cape and hair.

“I welcome the company.”

The rest of the store was empty, and Sonia boiled some water while Milo got some tea leaves. She gave up a cheri berry to the cause, and the two of them sat and drank some tea and chit-chatted about nothing in particular. Finally, the storm seemed to subside, at least a little, and Sonia decided to take the chance and run on back to the inn.

“So when are you opening your store?” Milo asked as he pulled her box of pre-ordered supplies out from the back.

“Probably next week, if the construction goes as planned,” she said as she checked the stock. “Wow, you got almost everything!”

“Looking forward to it. Sorry I didn’t get the Shellder shell or meat,” he said, taking her silvers.

“No, this is incredibly helpful. There are plenty of things I can do with the things I have here, and I’ll be going into the Wild Area tomorrow as long as the weather allows.”

Milo furrowed his brow. “You’re bringing someone for protection, right? That tall man?”

“Yes, he’s my bodyguard.”

“Good. Well, I suggest heading down towards the East Lake Axewell. You’ll find pearls, roots, feathers, and mushrooms if you’ve an eye. Be careful, though, because there’s a Gyarados that swims in the waters. Among other things.”

“Any Frillish or Jellicent?”

“Should be plenty.”

“Wonderful. The ladies will love it.”

“Pardon?”

“The salt water from either of those two monsters makes for an amazing exfoliant. It can also help relieve sore muscles and is good for skin conditions.”

“I’m not sure I’ve heard the pharmacist up north talking about these things. Where’d you hear about that?”

 _Pharmacology for Alchemists_ , she thought, but said aloud, “I learned a few things from my grandmother. Sometimes simple is best.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it. Save me some of that; my lady friend is always complaining that my hands are too rough.”

Sonia gave him a sly smile as she hoisted up the new box of goods and covered it with her cloak. “I can get you some other things if she’s needing a gentle touch from you.”

A soft blush around his nose and Sonia laughed herself into the rain. But it had since diminished into a drizzle, and since she couldn’t run with all these supplies, she just let herself get wet on the way back to the Inn. _Ugh, I’ll need another bath._

When she walked into the room, Raihan was already dressed in clean clothes and drying his hair. One look at her and he immediately frowned. “You are wet! And a mess!”

“Had to make a run out to Milo’s. Look at the great stuff he got for me,” and she triumphantly whipped her cloak off and put the box on the desk before pulling off her boots.

He wouldn’t be deterred. “You should get dry before sickness happens.”

“No problem. **Dehydrate.”**

It worked to take the water out from her cloak and clothes, but it didn’t make her clean or warm, and now it was Raihan’s turn to be bossy when he saw the small shiver go through her. “Please, go get – wait, why are you not wearing pants?”

Sonia looked down, then flushed self-consciously. At this angle, her legs were bare from mid-thigh down. “I didn’t want to get my whole outfit wet, and I was wearing my cloak, so if my legs got wet I didn’t have to wash…,” and she drifted off as he leaned into her, his hand brushing against the hem of her skirt and making her skin sizzle where he touched it.

“Did any other see you like this?”

“Uhm, Milo, maybe. Not really anyone else on the street because of the rain.”

He let out a little sound in the back of his throat, bringing his other hand down so both were able to trail against the edge between skin and cloth. It made her want to simultaneously back up _and_ move forward.

“Raihan?” she asked, though it came out more like a whisper.

His words came out in Pasaari, which was a little surprising since he’d been using Galarian with such ease, but then his fingers tightened a grip on her thighs and they were brushing her backside as he pulled her hips into his and his mouth came down on hers. A reflexive gasp that turned into something a little more eager as her arms went around his neck, and he stepped her back until she was half-sitting, half-leaning on the table.

Another growled phrase, but this was in heavily accented Galarian. “You are so frustrating!”

 _What is he talking about?_ She mentally yelled, too surprised to reply before he kissed her again, and there was this undertone of not-affection in the action that was a little startling… but not enough to make her take her hands from his shoulders or her lips off his.

And then his hands slid up, just a couple centimeters, and now he was cupping her bottom and that was probably stepping over the line so she pulled back.

“Wait, Raihan, you shouldn’t-”

“Why do you not rely on me?”

The non-sequitur caught her so off-guard that she didn’t even push his hands away, even though they were very firmly sitting on her curves. “Uhm. I… uh… what?”

A huff of exasperation. “I understand you do not always need me. But today you went into rainstorm wearing no clothes-”

“I wore clothes!”

“- Wearing no pants like _rundya_ , _behonin vaagir nev_ , to see a man who is _kharivaar nev_ , and come home carrying all this! _Tuw’hir jo_ , _nadahela karm_!” he said forcefully, then laid his forehead on her shoulder. He took a breath, looking for words, before saying, “Sonia, I help you! I am yours, and I do not want you to forget me.”

Her irritation started to fade away, and while her mental hackles were still up, she understood his point and had to give way. “You’re right. I’m sorry for making the run without you.”

Apparently, his hackles were up, too, because he didn’t pull away his hands or step back. So Sonia tried to help soothe things with gentle strokes up and down his neck, underneath the loose fall of hair, and found herself feeling better as she touched him. Then she wondered aloud, “If you’re so mad, why the kiss?”

It was five seconds of silence before he said something that sounded like, “ _Kheldik_.”

“I’m sorry?”

“ _Sonia mol kheldik_.”

With hands quickly going back down to her thighs, he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist in a single motion. Sonia let out a little gasp because without anything but her undergarments between her legs, she was pressed _right against his hips_ and oh this was definitely stepping over boundaries but she wasn’t exactly sure whose because she also realized the only things holding her up were her legs and his hands and yeah, all the exercise and good food and seven-plus hours of sleep were doing their job because he didn’t even look phased by the weight of her. She immediately tightened her hold around his neck because, wow, he was _really_ tall and a fall from this height would leave a mark, so the order ‘put me down!’ was not an option because she had a feeling he would drop her right on her ass and not look the least bit guilty.

Now she could look him directly in the eye, but that gaze was too intense and she turned her head to the side as he brought his lips to her ear.

“If you are having a hard time to remember me, I will _give_ you something to remember.”

She felt the cloth of his pants rub against her inner thigh and his fingers were digging into her skin from how firmly he was holding her and it was bad, it was wrong that she felt this flash of fire in her pelvis at the realization of what was implied but she lost the ability to speak in coherent words because of the conflicting feelings between her head and her body and everything in between.

When she didn’t reply, he strode into the bathing room, knelt down, and indelicately dropped her into the tub. It didn’t hurt, per se, but Sonia still winced when she landed on the wooden bottom.

“Get warm. Get clean.” he asked, and there was a little edge of annoyance that hadn’t fully left.

Sonia still couldn’t look at him. “Give me twenty minutes.”

Satisfied with that answer, he strode back out of the room, muttering in Pasaari and for once Sonia thought she understood him because it sounded like he said something along the lines of ‘caring for a child’, and because she felt so petulant in return that she stuck her tongue out as he slammed the door shut.

But she didn’t let her brain muse on what happened until she was done scrubbing off the mud and relaxing in a hot tub of water. Then she spun in mental circles.

 _‘Will give you something to remember’ sure sounds like either a threat or a promise_ , she thought as she ducked her head into the water.

_You think he meant it would be **that** good, or that he’d leave something behind?_

_Stop it!_ She chastised herself. _We are literally three days into at least a month of waiting! Probably more! Have some restraint, both of you! Gran would_ -

That stopped her. It was funny how thoughts like these could come rushing up despite Gran being gone for over a decade of her life, and she surfaced for a breath of air.

_It doesn’t matter what Gran would think. You had your fun before, and you never judged anyone else for theirs, either. Don’t be too hard on yourself._

She batted at the floating bubbles with a toe. _It’s just… I can’t want him back until he’s free._ Which was really maddening because now she was a little wound up _right now_ and in need of some relief. She got as far as bringing her hand down beneath the water line and gently stroking up her thigh before was a knock at the door.

“Don’t come in!” she shrieked, covering herself with her hands.

“Are you well?” Raihan asked through the still-closed door. “Twenty minutes have gone.”

“I’m fine! Coming out now!” and she pulled the plug and grabbed her towel while simultaneously casting **Dehydrate**. A little warming spell on the towel, and she felt her pulse drop down to normal with the heat. “Can you close your eyes? I need to come out and get dressed.”

A moment’s pause, and he said, “I will step outside.” She heard him open the door and shut it. Peeking out and seeing the main room empty, she quickly grabbed clean undergarments and a new shirt-and-pants outfit, this one in yellow and green. Her hair was a still a mess, but Raihan had seen her with raging bedhead so that wasn’t new to either of them. She let him in as she was actively running a comb through her hair, both of them quiet and in their own thoughts.

The question slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it.

“How many lovers have you had?”

Before he could fully process the words, she immediately followed up with, “Never mind! Sorry. It’s a really personal question. Don’t answer it.”

“Ten and five.”

She blinked at him. He was looking into the distance, counting in his head then nodded. “Yes. I think… five-teen?”

“Fifteen?”

“Yes, that is word! Fifteen.”

Sonia tried to wrap her mind around the number as she finished tying her ponytail. It far outdid her, but was it a lot? Was it normal for a Pasaari man? For _any_ man? Well, this question just bit her right in the ass because now she had an answer and had absolutely no idea what to do with it.

“And you?” he asked, tilting his head at her.

“Oh. Uhm, just two.”

“That is not good.”

“Excuse me?!” 

“You should have more. A woman should know her fit,” he said matter-of-factly, taking a seat on his bed while Sonia went to the box of supplies and started separating everything out to keep her hands busy while they talked. Like before, he kept sliding between the languages. “You will not know what you like if you do not try many. _Paahi ladjnii aletbativ._ Before… before two promise always together being,” and he made a gesture of his two hands interlocking fingers.

“Before the wedding? Marriage?”

“Yes. For women, is important.”

“Is it, like, a special event?”

“No, _sanfeergha_ … no, not… _kan sadka che, kan sadka che?_ ” and he snapped his fingers and shook his head before finally giving up and asking, “what is it when something is again and again?”

“Uhm, repeat? Recurrent?”

“Recurrent. It is recurrent.”

“So, less of a single night’s intercourse and more of a relationship?”

“It can be both. And with more than one person.”

“Like an orgy?!”

“A what?”

“Uhm, sex with more than one person at one time.”

“No, you are not understanding. _Paahi ladjnii aletbativ jir,_ that is not _esshad_ , an or-gy,” and Sonia breathed a sigh of relief until he said, “Men and women should only have _esshad_ after at least ten partners.”

“Oh good gods!” Her brain immediately skipped over to him because fifteen was definitely more than ten. “Wait, did you? Do that, I mean?”

“Only once.”

“Only?!”

“ _Esshad amatla ujeshin jel_ , I did not have any reason.”

He was so nonchalant Sonia couldn’t wrap her head around it. It was weird that this discussion about sex was making her more annoyed than embarrassed, though, and she wished her knowledge of Pasaari was better. “Okay, so that _paahi_ thing is a woman having many partners, but not at one time, even though that’s mildly acceptable, and more about getting experience over time.”

A minute for him to translate, then a nod. “Yes.”

“Is it the same for men?”

He kind of wobbled his shoulders. “Yes-no. Men should also have practice, but it is to learn _vaksi_ , to learn pleasure or else a partner will not want you.”

That was an interesting lean. Galarian culture – at least from her time – leaned towards one partner for life, meaning that both learned on the fly. Reality was obviously different from theory, but Galarians were certainly not _that_ open about sex. _Might have been nice to have someone with a little experience that initial go-round_ , she thought wistfully, thinking back to those first few tries with Dillon. It… got better. Garrick was good from the word ‘go’, though, and no question that Raihan would probably be pretty impressive, too, given his experiences. All of them.

Then she followed that train of thought into a very problematic station. “Raihan?”

“Hm?”

“Were you married?”

His body language suddenly went still, and Sonia’s heart stopped with it. But then he shook his head and said, “No.”

“That was a very drawn-out no.”

“I…,” and now he seemed to struggle again with words. “Not married. Promised together.”

“Engaged?” and that seemed just as bad.

“Yes. Engaged. But I… it was not because I liked her in my heart. It was because of _phazaw_. Because I must.”

Sonia couldn’t quite make sense of what he was saying, in part because she was more than a little thrown off by this admission. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“ _Pehdir_ , he made me to marrying her when I was young. I did not want to. I would keep saying no.” He stopped abruptly, and Sonia realized the conversation would go no further. She let it go, continuing to unpack and reorganize the supplies from Milo before deciding what they would need to go out and hunt later. _Mostly the Shellder, a Jellicent, and some extra add-ons if we can find any._

Suddenly, Raihan said, “I think you have fear I have another in my heart in Pasaar.”

“Yes.” No point in denying it.

“Not like you. No one like you.”

That made her smile. “Thanks, Raihan. For what it’s worth, there’s no one like you, either.”

“Even Leon?”

 _Oh, that’s quite an explosion waiting to happen. Better snuff this out before there’s a problem._ “What I feel for Leon is nice… but it’s not what I feel for you. What I’d like to feel more for.”

“I could help, since you are feeling like you want more.”

“No, not right now.” Then she realized exactly what she was implying as the smile spread across his face. “Oh, hells. I walked into that, didn’t I?”

He opened his arms wide, implying right where she could walk, and Sonia threw a ball of Whimsicott cotton at him. He caught it with a chuckle, playing with the fluff between his hands. “I would enjoy helping you circle clouds.”

Now it was her turn to give him a tilted look. “I never hear you use idioms. Is that a Pasaari saying?”

“Yes. It is true Pasaari to Galarian words, but it means-”

“I think I know what it means.”

“Would you like trying it?”

She turned and walked over to him, then knelt between his legs. The smile vanished from his face, looking at her with sharp intensity, and as she leaned up to kiss him and he leaned down, she snatched the cotton from his hands and pulled back.

“I would… after I break the contract.”

Now a more discontented groan from him as she went back to the table. “You are very stubborn.”

“As if you are a picture of pliancy now that you’re acting less like Slave Raihan,” she retorted.

His fingers slowly traced the brand, almost like he was touching a piece of metal rather than his own body. “I do not think much of this anymore. I think of you, and me, and things I could not want until now.”

For all the ease by which they talked just now, Sonia couldn’t bring herself to ask him that one simple question

_What do you want most of all?_

Because she still feared the answer even though he claimed to want only her, and him saying it aloud would make her nightmares real. So instead she smiled and said, “Then, would you like to help me make things for the store? It’s not adventurer work, but….”

He smiled back (something rare and warm and almost youthful) as he got to his feet, and Sonia let the memory of it keep her spirits aloft the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (12/7/2020): THANKS RAIHAN FOR MAKING ME THINK UP PASAARI SEXUAL PRACTICES IN GREAT DETAIL... though maybe I should be blaming Sonia for starting the talk in the first place lol. I also mentioned before that I'm not bilingual (though I dabble in Japanese and Spanish) so I hope my attempts to show Raihan trying to go back and forth between the two languages are somewhat accurate. Yeah, this chapter was -work- for a whole bunch of reasons.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who stops by and leaves a thought. It warms the deepest recesses of my heart. ❤


	13. Skills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 13: He looked -different-. He looked like a royal knight, tasked with defending the king, and the vision of him wearing Galarian armor like Leon hit her right between the eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: Tempus Vernum, by Enya. Played at the start of the chapter, but the vocals should start around the time when Sonia is watching Raihan practice with a spear. At 1:58, the music should line up with the phrase, "It is Azjana Tev’phan".
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh for being my beta-reader. I'm about to give her some well-deserved time off.

“ _It’s_ still raining?!”

“Yes.”

“UGH!”

“Please do not hit your head on window. It would not be good if you break it.”

“My head?”

“Melony’s window. Drink your tea. I will go to Mustard.”

“No, I’m coming with.”

He looked startled. “Why?”

“I need the fresh air. Let’s go.”

They bought freshly baked croissants that they ate on the way to the Adventurers Guild, and Raihan immediately made a beeline for the training field. Sonia trailed behind, resigned to staying wet most of the morning, but she was delighted to see that there was an extension of the roof over part of the arena, and she could keep slightly drier beneath the canopy as she leaned against the fence.

Raihan began going through warm-ups in the rain, and Mustard took notice of her. The first thing he said when he came to her was, “You got somewhere to be?”

“Not particularly.”

“Hnh,” he grunted, then said. “Well, my men liked the stuff you brought by. You got more?”

“I will next week.”

A slow nod. “You any good at vitamins?”

_Is that a hint?_ “I am.”

“Hnh. Got a weaponsmith to make a custom spear for Raihan. It’ll be done on FireDay, so you can give it to him after the exam. Cost three gold, though, so I don’t know if that’s possible for you.”

“That’s fine. Thank you.”

Mustard raised an eyebrow, then let it go. “He a slave?”

It didn’t surprise Sonia that Mustard noticed; was probably obvious from both his ethnicity and the brand. “Yes.”

“Trained slaves come as a set with their weapons. Makes them valuable. So if you die, he’s got leverage to prevent getting sold to a shitty master.”

“I will try not to die anytime soon. I need him.”

“Assume that’s why you bought him.”

A shrug. Silence between them for a moment, then Mustard just walked away and started barking out orders to Raihan. He didn’t seem too affected by it, simply moving into position without a word to argue.

They first sparred with the wooden swords, and while Sonia had seen it before, it was always a pleasure to watch Raihan in his element. They started out with more choreographed moves, almost mirror images, and Mustard would make all sorts of comments about what was wrong.

“No! Bend your knees for better stability! I’ll knock you on your ass in that stance!”

“Learn this reflex! Do it again!”

“You’re forgetting your footwork, you half-brained fool! Don’t trip over yourself like that!”

But it took almost a full 45 minutes of their warm-up before Mustard took the wooden swords away and brought out two long staffs. There were wooden blades on the top, to better emulate a spear, and when Raihan took his in hand, the change was literally visible. It took her breath away to watch as he went from being ‘good enough’ while handling a sword, to the almost-more capable warrior between the two men. And Sonia had a feeling that Mustard was probably better trained in using spears than most other Adventurers (given the number that she’d seen with swords far outweighed the handful who didn’t). Now, it was less about Mustard lecturing him, and more about testing themselves against a worthy opponent.

Even more mind-bending, occasionally _Raihan_ would make a comment. It numbered one to a hundred of Mustard’s, but it still surprised Sonia enough that she sat up straight when she heard him say, “Fast backstep,” as he moved in with a stab. But Mustard understood the gist, because he suddenly upped his footwork, and the attempted hit came up short.

It was amazing, though. The first time she watched him, he was almost blasé about his own safety. As if the win was more important than staying alive. Now, Raihan moved like he was untouchable, like he was watching the field from above as he stood on the ground, and if she really focused Sonia could see that he was also throwing around touches of magic to distract or enhance his attack. He moved with grace, with the ease of someone who had done this so much it was engraved in his muscles and bones, like the weapon was just an extension of his arm. And when he and Mustard came to a stop, both soaking wet and covered in mud, she could see just how hot the fire burned in Raihan’s eyes as he stood ramrod straight, his spear clenched in his hand and pointed to the sky, and his chin held high with unspoken pride.

He looked _different_.

He looked like a royal knight, tasked with defending the king, and the vision of him wearing Galarian armor like Leon hit her right between the eyes.

_Who are you? Who are you, that I can stand beside you?_

It wasn’t until both men started walking over to her that she realized her heart had been racing while watching them ( _Raihan_ ), and she knew she _knew_ the word for what she felt for him and it was terrifying because this wasn’t just the superficial attraction the two of them had been playing at. No, this was something more.

_No. Don’t do this. Don’t go there. Don’t think about it and you’ll save yourself so much pain._

So she put on a nice little mask and smiled and praised him for such an impressive show. The grin he gave her was brilliant, and damn if it didn’t make her heart start fluttering again. Mustard was dismissive, but he did thank Raihan for not breaking anything today and advised him to practice his stance and routines.

“This is the first time I’ve watched you use a spear,” she said as they headed back, the rain still falling at a drizzly pace, though a tiny bit of wind magic kept some of it off. “It was… really amazing. I don’t know how to describe it, but I’ve never seen anything like what you did. I probably could have watched you for hours because it was so hypnotic.”

He didn’t respond, and Sonia didn’t expect him to; he was used to her talking just to fill space. And she needed to fill it with casual banter because she was too thrown off by her own feelings to act like everything was fine and dandy.

“Too bad about the rain, though,” she said with a sigh. “I really wanted to get a jump start on making products for the store, but there’s no way we could go to the Wild Area in this.”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes, but not enough to brave the storm. I can wait until tomorrow.”

“It will be two days before rain goes.”

She frowned up at him. “How can you tell?”

“I can feel.”

“Oh. I guess I’ll just have to start with some simple stuff for now.”

They got to the Inn without further issue, but before they could walk inside, Raihan gently grabbed her shoulder. “Let us go to Wild Area.”

Sonia looked up. “In this weather?”

“Yes.”

She wilted. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“You are going to run my butt into the ground,” she muttered, then said, “Let me grab my bag, and we’ll need something to carry all the things I plan to harvest.”

“I will help,” he said as they went inside. She got her bag and he grabbed the wooden box that Milo gave her for the supplies on MoonDay. They decided against getting a pack animal, and instead grabbed an extra Repel Sonia had lying around. Then, they were off and heading southbound into the Wild Area, and she remembered what Milo had said about the East Lake, and they made a sharp left. It wasn’t more than a fifteen-minute walk before they reached the edge of the lake, and Sonia was a little pleased to see all sorts of water monsters playing in the rain.

But the rain was making it hard for her to see the different plants and overall making a nuisance of itself. Also, she was starting to catch a chill despite her cloak.

“Raihan, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

He put down the box. “I did not tell my Skill.”

Sonia felt her temper start to fray. Skills were magical gifts unique to a person. Some were subtle, some were catastrophic. Hers was _Alchemy_ , like her father and Gran. She figured Raihan’s was associated with weapons or fighting or whatnot. What on earth did that have to do with the problem at hand? “No, you didn’t.”

“It is _Azjana Tev’phan._ In Galar, you say _Dragon Storm_.”

And he raised his hands to the sky and started murmuring in Pasaari, bits of sparks dancing off his fingers to fly upwards into the air, and it wasn’t her imagination that the rain was starting to lighten up as the thunder died away. A few more sharp gestures, like he was grabbing handfuls of linen and throwing them away and to the side, and it was _definitely_ not her imagination that his feet were a half-meter off the ground and the wind whipping around her face and hair no longer had raindrops in it but instead carried warmth, like the breath from a lover against her skin, and dear sweet souls there was sunlight peeking through those thunderheads that widened from needle-points to a giant hole where she could see bright blue sky and a noon sun blazing overhead. Now, it felt like a warm spring day, and the storm clouds were gone into the horizon.

His feet gently touched the ground, and he shook the excess water from his hair with casual practice. “That will be for 2 hours. We should be fast.” He looked down at her stunned expression. “Sonia?”

She grabbed his face in her hands, pulled him down, and kissed him with a passion that she’d never had for anyone else. It caught him off guard, but he quickly matched her enthusiasm until they were both moaning into each other and Sonia was ready to climb him like a tree.

_We don’t have time for this,_ a rational piece of herself (which sounded a bit like Gran) said, and she pulled back. “You’re unbelievable!”

“You are impressed?”

“Yes, of course I am!” she smiled. “Come on, let’s get to work!”

She quickly sprayed the Repel on herself, him, and the box; no rain to wash it away. Then she went right to work, ignoring the squelching mud beneath her boots, and began to scour the water’s edge. In no time at all, she had already found a handful of pearls, which would be perfect for the lotions and creams she intended to make. She also found mushrooms, a multitude of berry trees and shrubs, and even a gold nugget that someone must have lost.

For his part, Raihan followed her lead by picking up things that she pointed out, until she saw a tentacle float near the shore. _Ah! A Jellicent!_ “Raihan?”

“Yes?”

“Can you help me?”

He was by her side in a literal second. “Yes. What need you have?”

“Can you get that Jellicent onto the shore?”

“Which is Jellicent?”

“The big floaty head monster in the water.”

“Ah, I see. Blue or light red?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Dead or alive?”

“If you have to kill it, don’t lose all the water in its head. That’s what I need.”

He looked around and found a long tree branch, taller than her, before nodding and walking into the lake. About 6 meters in, he slid underwater and remained there for almost thirty seconds, the lake’s surface showing no indication of what was going on below. Just as she was starting to get nervous, his head popped above the surface and he looked satisfied. “Please move.”

Sonia hopped backwards, giving him plenty of swinging room, and he slowly swam to the shoreline and walked onto the sand. Behind him, its tentacles all entwined around the branch, was a very unhappy blue Jellicent. It tried to flail its few untangled tentacles to hurt them, but being outside of water it had no strength and could only twitch helplessly as Raihan dragged it further onto land.

“It’s perfect!” she grinned, grabbing a handful of large jars for use. She danced around the tentacles, then reached the top of its head and poked a small hole through the delicate flesh. Sonia carefully drained the water into nine jars before it completely deflated and died. Raihan chucked the body back into the water, away from where they had set up temporary camp.

“Milo’s lady will be very happy with this.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Raihan working through that information before she saw him give a small smile and a nod. “I see.”

_Yeah, I’ll bet you do now._ “Can I ask a-”

“Yes. Please.”

A breath of a laugh, then she said, “Did you see a Shellder?”

“Which is Sheller?”

“It’s made of two purple shells that clamp down,” she explained, making a bivalve shell with her hands.

He frowned. “I have maybe seen one.”

“Could you get it? Having one would be super helpful.”

He pulled out the sword from the scabbard, sending a flare of light off the blade. “Anything for you.”

Sonia didn’t have a chance to react to that before he jumped back into the water. This time, there was a lot more activity, and her heart started to race as she saw Raihan emerge before taking a gasping breath and falling back into the waters. And then didn’t come back up. For a long time.

_Oh gods, there’s a problem. Something’s wrong,_ she thought, unable to keep from looking at the foaming waters as her brain went through a hundred different ideas to try and help him. She wasn’t that talented of a water magician, and her fighting skills were non-existent. _Come on, Raihan, come on. Please come up, please come up._

When he finally came up, she yelled, “Raihan! Raihan, come back!”

But he didn’t hear her, or was ignoring her, because he didn’t head to shore. There was so much splashing that she couldn’t see what he was fighting but he was cussing up a storm (at least, she assumed that was what he was saying in Pasaari) and his sword and the lake had some red in it and he barely managed to draw another breath before something dragged him under.

“Raihan!” she screamed, too late to be heard, and she started pacing back and forth over the grass, wondering if she should jump in, not wanting to be left behind but having absolutely no idea what she could do to help. Just as she was preparing to join him and maybe try to bring him back to shore, he came up again with a yell of victory.

“Sonia! _Saam kerdem_!” and he swam to shore, proudly dragging the Shellder behind him. She ran into the lake, ice-cold water against her hips, and she let out a gasp when she realized what he had done.

“That’s a Cloyster!” she nearly screamed, almost dropping the shell in shock, before getting a better grip and helping him drag in onto the ground. “Did you just… did you just kill a Cloyster?!”

It was average sized for this monster, measuring a hefty 80 kilograms (if she had to guess). The shell was still intact, but she could see that the monster’s head was missing; there was a clean, bleeding wound at the neck, so the rest of the creature’s flesh was still inside the shell, and Sonia could only stare in wonder at what Raihan had done.

“It trapped my hand,” he said, showing the bruising above his left wrist. “But it does not like fire, so I made water around my hand very hot, and it let go. We fought. It trapped me again, so I burned its head and cut off.”

Cloyster were not low-level monsters; in fact, most of the time, it took two A-rank Adventurers or a handful of B-rankers to take them on. The combination of unbelievable defense and underwater advantage made it a difficult opponent, and not one that was frequently caught despite how valuable both the meat and the shell happened to be. And Sonia knew this because she paid out the nose to get her hands on powdered shell or fresh meat.

“But you did it yourself,” she breathed, almost too soft to be heard.

“I made a mistake. This is not Shellder, no?” he said, almost regretfully. “Is this good?”

“YES! Yes, it is! Raihan, this is incredible! I can’t believe it! You – you’re – I can make so many things from this!” and she was dancing around it like a child, and her excitement was mildly infectious because now Raihan could look pleased as punch with himself. “You’re amazing!”

“It was good fight,” he said, still grinning.

“No, this was better than just ‘good’. Honestly, I’m so happy with what you did! Can I do something for you as thanks? Anything; anything at all!”

He looked thoughtful for a second, then said, “I want to kiss you.”

She gave him a half-smile. “I should have known. But that’s fine,” and she reached up and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips.

But then he shook his head. “I did not mean that.”

“Huh?”

“Not a kiss here,” and he touched her lips. “But a kiss here,” and his hand fell down until his finger was right over her –

“No.”

“I want to. It would be a gift.”

“That’s… that’s not something I do.”

He frowned. “I do not understand. You do not like it?”

“That’s not something we do here in Galar.”

“That is… is there word that means different-wrong?”

“It’s not wrong!” she said defensively, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t. It’s too much like, you know… but isn’t there something else I can do for you?”

“No. But thank you,” and he looked down at the Cloyster. “We cannot carry all. We should cut it small.”

“I can really use the meat, so let’s try and get as much of that as possible,” she said, watching him with a sharp eye. He started carving away the Cloyster from its shell, cleanly dissecting it until she had a good fifteen kilos of flesh that could be dropped into the box. “Could you take one of the shells? I think I can put that into my lotions.”

He flipped the shell upside-down, then drove his heel into the hinge; it shattered the shell into two pieces, and after he cut the ligament holding the two pieces together he picked one side up and left the other on the shoreline. “Heavy, but okay,” he said, putting it on his back like a shield.

“I’m done for the day; let’s get back to the Inn,” she said, then noted they were both still sopping and her boots were squishy. **“Dehydrate.** That should make the trip a little more comfortable.”

“Hurry. Rain will come soon.”

They walked back in silence, partially because it was taking a lot out of Sonia’s stamina to carry the box, and the shell itself had to be at least 35-plus kilos for Raihan. They actually made a few stops on the way back, catching their breath just enough to make the next few minutes of walking doable. But even after they returned and carefully dropped everything into the room, he remained silent. He didn’t seem upset, but Sonia found herself mentally poking at the problem before finally giving in.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I feel bad. I feel like I hurt you by saying no.”

“You are not obliged to my asking.”

“You did so many wonderful things today, almost all of it for my benefit, and I don’t think I really told you how much I appreciated it.”

“I know you do.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing else-”

“Sonia,” and now his voice firmed up as he looked at her. “I owe you my life. I will give to you anything. So do not give me your guilt.”

That wasn’t an answer, not really, but she could tell he didn’t want to talk any further. “Then, why don’t you wash up?”

“You should first.”

“No. Please. Go first.”

Realizing that this was a battle not worth fighting, he ducked his head, grabbed clean clothes, and went to bathe.

Sonia just stood there, surrounded by the materials that he helped collect, hearing the rain start tapping against the windows as the last of the sunshine he summoned disappeared behind the clouds, and wondered how much of the chill going through her skin was due to the remnant cold… and how much of it was because she almost told him what she promised herself to keep silent.

Even though she wasn’t ready to give him her body, it was surreal (and a little scary) to realize that she was prepared to give him her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (12/14/2020): A man of many skills, some of which are obvious and some of which are... hidden abilities. 😏
> 
> This will be the last chapter I post until 2021. I have Family Obligations that will carry through until Christmas. In addition, I may be starting PRN hospital work right after the holiday, so I don't know if I'll have the time or energy to post more frequently. In any case, I'll just keep poking away at this story (and the others) until this shitshow of a year is over and done.
> 
> I want to wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season. This year has been so hard for everyone, but I hope that we all can bring better changes into the new year. Thanks to you guys for your wonderful comments and energy. 💙


	14. Lability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 14: The look in his eyes was… not quite right. In fact, his whole posture was decidedly not-Raihan-like. The way he leaned away from her, hunched into himself as he sat in the bed, mouth partially open as if holding back words that he couldn’t say, gave her the impression that he was afraid of something.
> 
> That he was afraid of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DezyPhresh for helping to beta-read this chapter and offer her thoughts on the events that happen here. I was very uncertain about it, so that's why this update is off-schedule.
> 
> So there is a warning that I will mention. It relates to, shall we say, some borderline explicit material near the end. I don't think it's enough to warrant a change from a 'M' to 'E' rating, but it's there and I think anyone who is not old enough to be reading about sex should probably take a minute to decide whether or not they want to progress past dinner.

Sonia decided to spend WindsDay making stuff for the store. In order to get a jump on everything, she did something she never liked doing; she woke up at the crack of dawn, or what would be dawn if the storm clouds weren’t hanging around like obnoxious neighbors looking for gossip. More sulky rain against the windows just to set the atmosphere. It was so early even Raihan wasn’t up yet. She didn’t even bother getting cleaned. Instead, she changed into an older outfit that could suffer another day’s dirt, got some water for her and Raihan’s morning tea, lit a lantern, and went right to work.

_All right, this section will be for making soaps. I’ll make my four most popular types – Calm mint, tamato berry, gardenia and sand, and Moomoo milk and pecha berry. Better start with mixing the oils and purified Light Clay._

_In this section, I’ll make some different ointments. Ones for cuts and abrasions, one for burns, and one for itching. Probably best to use coconut oil as the base because I have so much of it for the other products, but maybe I’ll get some Combee wax after I have a full-fledged lab again._

_Just two types of lotion – one for normal skin, and one for extra-dry skin. I’ll get fancy with scents or other additions later._

_Now, the cosmetics. I’ll leave the make-up part to Pearl; she has really good stuff and I’d rather not compete with her. However, I didn’t see any perfumes or scrubs in her shop. Since I promised Milo some Jellicent scrubs, I better follow through with that first._

She would make nothing perishable; all the vitamins, medications, and ‘treatments’ could wait until she was closer to opening the store. These things would last for months to years as long as they were kept properly sealed. For the first hour of work, everything went smooth as silk.

Then she accidentally dropped an empty jar onto the table due to butterfingers, making a loud ‘ **thunk** ’ echo through the room, and Sonia heard a gasp from behind and a breathy, “No!”

His voice startled her, and she spun around. “Goodness, Raihan, I’m so sorry! You-” and she lost her train of thought as she looked at him, sitting up and only half-awake.

The look in his eyes was… not quite right. In fact, his whole posture was decidedly not-Raihan-like. The way he leaned away from her, hunched into himself as he sat in the bed, mouth partially open as if holding back words that he couldn’t say, gave her the impression that he was afraid of something.

That he was afraid of _her_.

_Oh this is not good._

“Are you all right?” she asked, slowly coming to his side.

“ _Naa_.”

“What’s wrong?”

A string of Pasaari, but she caught the word ‘sleep’ with the negative verb form. “Sleep? Not sleep? Bad sleep?”

“ _Es_.”

“Like, you can’t fall asleep? Or you have nightmares?”

“ _Es_.” A pause as he swallowed, his mouth not working as he tried to speak and his hands shaking as they gestured around his head.

Now she knelt down next to his bed, mentally putting all the vessels into stasis. _Where is his Galarian?_ “What do you mean?”

“My sleep…,” and he started to talk to himself in jumbled Pasaari-Galarian, and Sonia couldn’t follow what he was saying because his voice was so soft and almost rambling about something with pain and memory, but the realization came to her like a bolt of lightning.

_Oh, good gods. He dreams about being a slave._

“Raihan, you’re not-” _a slave_ was a lie, so she quickly said, “in danger. No one can hurt you here. I promise. You’re safe.”

She had no idea if he could hear her, if what she was saying made sense to him. As if she were dealing with a feral animal, she carefully slid her hand over the sheets in his direction. He could see it, and she watched his eyes follow the motion, stopping just before reaching his finger. The choice to touch – or be touched – was his, not hers.

He just kept staring at her hand, unmoving and barely breathing, and she would sit there for hours if he needed it because she couldn’t let him think he was alone anymore. Then she noticed his lips were dry. “Do you want some water? _Iv chawd_?”

When he didn’t answer, she slowly drew back to get him a glass. But he moved, faster than she could have imagined, and his hand gripped her wrist and he pulled her onto the bed so hard that it nearly wrenched her shoulder. He was so strong that before she knew what happened, she was wrapped in his arms and pressed to his chest, her legs half-hanging off the bed in this awkward pose of comfort.

“ _Naa, naa, Sonia, naw ge’av, kirp’ha naw ge’av_ ,” he whispered into her neck, and she could feel him tremble underneath her touch. It took her a moment to translate what he was saying, and it was surprising that she actually recognized the words.

_“No, no, Sonia, don’t go, please don’t go.”_

“Okay, okay,” she said soothingly. She slowly brought her legs onto the bed, and with a little wiggle she managed to bring her left leg over his thighs so she could sit and straddle his lap. “I won’t go. _Ma’an naw ge'av_. I’m here for you,” and gently dotted kisses against his cheek before slowly going up to his temples to finally laying her lips on his forehead. She stroked his neck and shoulders as if she were petting a Litten, running her fingers through his hair and brushing it away from his face.

She had no idea how long both of them were sitting there, wrapped up in each other, and she was very thankful that she hadn’t gotten to any irreversible parts in her material-making. At some point, she felt his tremor disappear and the grip around her body loosen infinitesimally, but she didn’t want to set him off again, so she didn’t move away or stop touching him. She did, however, ask, “Raihan? Are you better?”

He didn’t answer, and Sonia mentally smacked her forehead because _of course he’s not better. Seriously, Sonia, he just had a small breakdown_. So she added, “Can I do anything else for you?”

“No stop,” he said, his accent heavier than usual. “More.”

So she kept stroking and touching and kissing, all of it caring but none of it sexual, until he had melted against her. His arms were a loose circle around her body, his forehead leaning against hers, and his breath completely even. When he opened his eyes, they were clear and focused; she knew that he was back in the present and not wrestling with the memories of his past.

“You always have trouble sleeping?”

“Yes. When I was… not here – in other houses – masters do not let us sleep long. And I wake up fast to go away from _ruvan_.” At her puzzled expression, he thought for a moment before saying, “Bad dreams.”

“Nightmares.”

“Nightmares. _Ruvan_.”

“I could… I could probably make you a potion to help you sleep. Would you like to try one?”

“I do not know. Maybe.”

“How do you feel now?”

“Tired. Hurt.”

“Why don’t you take the day off from practicing with Mustard?”

He thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No. I want to. Fighting with Mustard makes me feel not weak.”

“I think you have an hour before you have to be there. I can get you some food and tea.”

Her answer was a tightening of his embrace again, almost making her breath come out in a ‘whoosh’ as he buried his face in her neck. _Never mind; guess I’ll stay here_. “Has this kind of wake-up happened before?”

“I did when first in Galar. Then too much new pain to remember old pain.”

“So now that you’re with me, you don’t have any new pain to push away the old pain.” No reaction, then a slow nod against her chest. “Every morning, you’re waking up early from the nightmares, aren’t you?”

Another nod, and Sonia could have kicked herself for not realizing something was up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It… I could not. I did not know how.”

She continued to gently run her fingers through his hair. “Well, now we do. Tell me when you’re having another nightmare, all right? I don’t want you to deal with this by yourself.”

“I… I am mixed up feelings,” he said. “I do not want you to see me weak, but I do not want to be without you.”

“You’re not weak,” she said, with no anger or heat. Just truth, and it made her words resonate between them. “You are not, and will never be, weak. You have pain and it’s real, even if no one sees it. And like an injured muscle, that pain means you need help getting better. And I’m here to help.”

Now his voice was barely a whisper. “Do you think I will be me again?”

She wouldn’t make him any promises that she couldn’t follow through with, nor would she hurt him with pessimism, either. “You will be better than you are right now.” She gave him a final kiss on the forehead. “ _Please_ let me feed you.”

He barely glanced up at her before faintly nodding.

“Good,” she said with a smile, slowly climbing off him ( _ow ow ow leg is asleep oh hellfire that hurts_ ) and carefully getting to her feet after letting the nerves wake back up. “I already brought up water. If you’re in the mood, you can boil it or you can wait for me.”

She headed downstairs, and Melony was already bustling at the counter. “Good morning, dear,” she smiled to Sonia.

“Good morning. What’s for breakfast?”

“Sausages, toasted bread with sweet syrup, and nanab juice.”

“I’ll take two, please.”

“Of course! Give me five minutes.”

Sonia leaned against the bar, mentally planning on how she was going to jump back into making the items, when Melony brought out a tray. Funny enough, though, there was an extra serving of sausages on one plate.

At Sonia’s quizzical look, she replied, “If your Raihan is anything like Leon or Gordie, he probably needs a little more than the usual serving. Don’t worry, you’ve plenty covered it.”

She was genuinely touched by the older woman’s care and concern. “Thank you. That’s really sweet and thoughtful.”

“Bring me clean plates as a compliment.”

When she got back upstairs Raihan had already changed into his training gear, and boiled the water and tossed in bits of dried hondew berry and leaves to steep. She added a dollop of honey to it, fully aware that Raihan was giving her a look. He liked his tea pristine; Sonia had a sweet tooth.

They ate on their respective beds; there was still a ton of her work stuff on the table, which Sonia would take care of later. And Melony was on the nose with her assumption, because Raihan finished his plate before Sonia did hers, and she only drank the tea to give him an extra glass of juice. The food and drink definitely helped stabilize him, though he didn’t say a word as he picked up the sword and made his way to the Guild.

She spent a few minutes sitting and thinking and wondering what the hell she was going to do about this new situation. Adventurers occasionally came through Wedgehurst on their way to or from the Wild Area, and she saw more than her fair share of ‘battle fatigue’ in men or women who were recovering. And she’d bet good money that the kinds of things that Raihan suffered these past four years were equally, if not more devastating than what they’d been through.

But she was no healer, of either mind or body, and the best she could do would be to make potions to help him sleep or to dull his thoughts. Temporary bandages on a gaping maw of a problem. She’d have to ask for help on his behalf.

Fortunately, she knew a healer. Even better, he’d be back in town by next week or so.

In the meantime, she had to do what she could do – and to keep her and Raihan in the house, she needed to make her goods. So she jumped back into her work. She had to rewarm many of the ingredients so they would mix better, but nothing was unsalvageable. Getting back into her flow took just a little time, but since the exfoliant was the easiest she started with that. All she needed to do was desalinate the Jellicent water into water and salt – but not too fast or the salt wouldn’t retain the cleansing property. She kept the purified water, though; it would be used in the other products. She ground up about half the salt into an extremely fine powder, and the other half was kept in bigger chunks. She squeezed the hell out of a bunch of coba berries, and added the juice to the finely ground salt until it was more of a mulch than a powder. She also added some haban berry juice to it, too, and a touch of the pure water for good measure. Then, she parsed out the coarse salt into a dozen 8-ounce half-jars and filled it the rest of the way with the salt-juice-water mixture. All mixed together, it made for a light purplish exfoliant that smelled slightly astringent with a hint of sweetness.

She wet her hands in the bathing room before coming out and getting a tiny scoopful. She rubbed the mixture all over both sides, and when she rinsed off the excess salt she let out a sigh of pleasure at how soft her hands felt.

_Oh yes. Milo’s lady-friend will like this quite a bit!_

It sold like gold in the past, and Sonia hoped it would do the same in the “future”. When she had a little extra money, she would buy some ribbons to tie around the jars for flair, but for now simple would have to be key. And if people liked it, she could offer a discount to anyone returning with a jar.

Then she got into the lotions next, which were also relatively simple. Starting with a base of oat milk and rose water, she then added powdered Cloyster shell and olive oil. Slowly spinning it in the vessel, she mixed in the best ingredient – cocoa butter! Milo had been a doll and gotten her five whole pounds of it in bar form, and she just shaved bits off and let it melt with the warmed milk and water. By the time she had a huge vat (okay, so it wasn’t _that_ big, but there was a lot), she poured two-thirds of it into more half-jars. She also had some smaller quarter-jars that would serve well as samples for people to buy. The remainder got some extra Cloyster shell, pearls, and powdered sitrus berry for added healing benefit.

Raihan came back to the room just as she was pouring off the extra-strength lotion into their jars. “Welcome back,” she said, unable to look up.

“You have been busy.”

“Yes! It’s been a productive morning! Feel free to wash up while I finish these two things.”

He didn’t reply – back to being silent – and Sonia would have liked to ask some probing questions but ultimately decided that he would talk when he wanted. And both of them had a pile of filthy clothes, so she’d have to do laundry soon, too. Dammit.

Now that she had a break in the day, she started packing up the completed jars into the box from Milo. A sniff of one jar, and she sighed in satisfaction. _Smells like chocolate and roses,_ and it was almost painful how quickly her mind immediately went to a memory from so long ago.

 _Homemade melted chocolate. Roseli and pinap berries. A bouquet of roses wafting their scent through the room. And sharing a bed with the first man she’d ever fallen in love with, smiling at him as they laughed about the mess they made and the way they were looking forward to making more_.

She shook her head, then screwed the top on the lotion. _Old times gone by. Funny how a scent can throw you back._

All of a sudden, her thoughts sharpened. _That’s what happened to him. The sound threw him back into the moment._

It was stupid, but she knocked on the bathing room door. “Raihan?”

“Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

A pause. “Yes,” he said slowly, sounding puzzled by her question.

“Nothing bothering you?”

“No. What is wrong?”

“Do you have smells or food that you don’t like?”

“Would… I am almost cleaned. May I please-?”

 _Oh gods, I’m a moron._ “Yes! I’m so sorry. Take your time!”

She finished her packing, cheeks hot and embarrassed, then went to the ointment. She separated the base stock into three groups, and started adding different berries and extracts to each one. She had made a run back to the little garden under Motostoke a few days prior, picking leaves and roots from the Lotad, and felt a blossom of joy in her chest for using the long-belated gift from Nessa in the middle vessel. _Thanks, soul-sister._

Unfortunately, looking at the trio of vessels, Sonia realized vastly underestimated the number of jars she was going to need. Almost all of the small jars were gone, and she didn’t want to use a big one. _Well, great. Guess I’ll have to do that to tide myself over until I get back to the general store_.

Raihan came out of the bathing room, dressed and still looking a bit on-edge, and Sonia apologized again. “I’m sorry for interrupting.”

“No, it was fine. What is wrong?”

She explained her experience with the cocoa butter and rose lotion, and how it triggered a memory. This one was pleasant, or at least benign, but there was the possibility of an unpleasant one hitting Raihan when he least expected it – like what happened that morning.

He sat on his bed, propped against the wall and thinking over her words. “I do not know of anything that smells or tastes wrong. It is big sounds that can be bad. And moving too fast. But not all moving.”

“Guess I can’t keep dropping giant glass jars anymore,” she said with obvious annoyance towards herself.

But he was able to give her a quirk of a smile. “Please no.”

She sat down next to him, pressed against his arm. “Are you okay now?”

His answer was to twine his fingers with hers, and angle his head on hers. Her heart skipped, and it was _really_ concerning how he was starting to have this effect on her over every little thing. “Yes.”

 _Yes? Oh, right!_ “Good. Did Mustard help?”

“He is not good at gentle, but he was… not unkind. Instead of fighting, we did _pherm_ – fighting form. It helps to make moves very good. It helps me think.”

She didn’t really understand how that worked, but he did and that was what mattered. And while it felt wonderful to just sit around and be this close to him, Sonia needed to finish her materials or they really would go bad. She couldn’t leave the room, though, for more than a few minutes; the vessels would disappear without her presence.

“Are you up for helping me?”

“Yes. Always.”

“I need some more jars from the store. Could you go get some for me?”

“Yes.”

But he didn’t move, and Sonia didn’t make him, and they held each other up as the rain beat against the wall at their back.

* * *

So Sonia totally fell asleep against Raihan, and he against her. She knew this because she felt the vessels suddenly shake, and her eyes snapped open as one of the soap vessels almost hit the ground.

“Oh hellfire,” she whispered, pouring a little more magic into all the vessels to keep them afloat, letting out a breath as they all floated back up into the air.

Raihan stretched his neck and gave a huge yawn before saying, “I am sorry.”

“No, I fell asleep too. Better get back to it.”

Raihan finally found the motivation to move away from her, and he went out shopping with her coins while Sonia brought the ointments to their finishing point. The vessel was a perfectly fine place for them to wait; it just took some of her energy to keep them in place. In the meantime, she finished making the soap in four different batches, then molding them into rectangular vessels. She carefully dropped the temperature in each one, which hardened the bar enough that she could deposit them on the table and wait for Raihan’s return without expending more magic.

He came back carrying almost fifty half and quarter-jars. “I was not certain how many you need. So I got many.”

“You sure did!” she said, delighted by the number. “Thank you!”

She parsed them out, labeling the lid of each ointment with either a drop of blood, a flame, or a speckling of dots so that she could tell what they were to be used for. Again, when she had more money and time she could create nicer labels, but this would do for now. She poured in the appropriate ointments before stacking them away in the box.

Now, all that was left were the soaps. They could be cut up into eight even bars, with the edges trimmed off to make them look clean, and that would give her plenty of inventory. Her new knife was sharpened to a perfect point, and it sliced through the soap with ease. She got about halfway through the first bar before she noticed Raihan watching her closely.

“Would you like to help?” she asked, turning and handing him the knife.

He was meticulous with the cutting so it took longer, but he had more power behind each slice and they came out in perfect squares. While he did that, she took some parchment paper and wrapped the bars up to keep them from melting or otherwise sticking to each other during transport. Since the first box was full, they had no choice but to leave them sitting on the ground, but otherwise it took no time to finish this up, and Sonia collapsed into her bed with a sigh of relief. She even had some extra jars for future projects.

“That was quite a bit of work!”

“Did you eat?” Raihan asked as he sat next to her.

A moment to think. “Not since breakfast.”’

“It is almost dinner!”

“Really?! That late?” A moment to think, and she realized that there were definitely hunger pains in her stomach. “Think we better get something.”

“Yes. They are using Cloyster meat today.”

That perked Sonia right up. In return for letting her use their coldbox to keep the Cloyster meat fresh (because there was just too much meat for her to keep cold via magic), Sonia had offered to give Hosea a part of it so he could make a meal for the Inn. He nearly fainted on the spot, but gladly took the 4 kilos and went wild.

So when the duo went downstairs, the dining hall was packed with people begging for the Cloyster soup, including people who looked like they came from the streets and weren’t bunking at the Inn. When Melony saw the two of them come downstairs, she immediately gestured for them to follow her.

“You two are wonderful!” she gushed, then directed them to a small table with two chairs. “We saved you both big ole bowls of it! Give me a minute!”

When she returned with the tray, there were two big bread-bowls filled with piping-hot Cloyster stew and veggies. Sonia’s eyes nearly bugged out of her skull; she would never be able to eat all of this. However, Raihan gave a small smile which indicated that he would, indeed, give clearing the plate his best effort. She also served them glasses of sparkling kee wine, which was _not_ cheap.

“Cloyster meat is so rare, it’s bringing in the crowd! Gods and goddesses bless you both,” she said before going back to serving the people milling around.

Sonia smirked at Raihan as they dug in. “Good job, Mister I-Can-Catch-Cloysters.”

For the first time since she’d met him, she saw a blush rise on the tips of his ears, though it didn’t show against his cheeks. _Huh. Cute._ He tried to hide it by quickly grabbing the stew and bowl to eat, but she basked in her own smugness at seeing it – and him knowing she saw it.

They ate as much as they could; in Raihan’s case, it was all of the stew and two-thirds the bowl. Sonia herself ate about half of both, but figured that setting a cold spell on the leftovers then rewarming it in the morning would make for a bolstering breakfast. They both enjoyed the wine in their glasses, the taste of which sat on Sonia’s tongue and made her almost hum with pleasure.

“Did you drink wine before?” she asked, letting the alcohol make her loose-lipped. “Before being in Galar?”

“Yes,” he said, lightly swirling the last of his drink. “Pomeg berries are liked in Pasaar. They are used to make _sarb,_ a drink like this,” indicating the wine, “and another drink, too. _Zhagi_. Has milk of brown hairy fruit that is made old and strong.”

 _Brown hairy fruit?_ “Maranga? Petaya? Actinidia?”

“Is white inside. Hard brown outside.”

“Oh, a coconut! So, then fermented coconut milk and pomeg juice makes _zhagi_.” He half-nodded half-shrugged, a gesture that she’d since come to understand meant something like, _I guess_ or _if you say so._

“Which did you prefer?”

“If I want relaxing, _sarb_. If I want to be, ah, not right in mind-”

“Drunk? From too much alcohol?”

“Yes. Drunk. Then _zhagi_. But Pasaari drink _sarb_ at dinner. I did since being young.”

That didn’t sound too different from Sonia’s experience. Gran had a drink on the weekends, and Sonia was allowed a finger’s width of it from twelve to, well, just before Gran died. She’d had some unpleasant experiences with drinking too much in her early twenties, though she never lost the taste for all types of spirits even after that. Hence why she was so good at drinking games, even now.

That didn’t mean that she wasn’t willing to blame the wine on the thought that was going through her head.

_If I told him I wanted to try that kiss… would he still want to?_

It had been only a literal day since he mentioned it, but Sonia was angry with herself for not just letting it go. Instead, the thought rolled through her head like a damn boulder being pushed around by a Bouffalant, only blocked from moving when she was actively engaged in alchemy or pharmacology. Maybe it was because he had been so willing to let it go, and she hated the idea of not giving him something he wanted even though he didn’t seem the least bit bitter about it.

 _Thanks for putting that thought in my head,_ she thought acidly. Because for all her talk about not wanting to use him, she was starting to feel her resolve weaken. Yeah, it took weeks to really trust her previous paramours enough to have sex with them… but she wasn’t literally spending _all day and night_ around them. The only time he wasn’t around was when he was with Mustard or training on his own, but that was it.

_I can’t ask. I can’t do that. I can’t be so loose with my morals – and with his body. It’s not fair._

She threw back the last of the wine and let out a sigh. “I guess we better go back upstairs. Unless you have something else you want?”

“No. I have it here,” and it took her a moment to focus on his words, on his eyes looking right at her. She felt pinned in place, and it wasn’t until he stood up first and brought the tray back to Melony’s counter that she could breathe again.

_Oh hellfire, can he read minds? No, he can’t. It’s not his Skill._

She quickly grabbed her leftovers, casting a cold spell on them, before trailing after him as he headed upstairs. Once inside their room, Sonia just stood at the door feeling a little out-of-sorts even though nothing had really changed.

Except that she was still slightly tipsy and kind of turned on. She swallowed and said, “I didn’t wash today. I’m going to bathe then go to bed, so you should, uhm, do your thing first”

Raihan nodded and followed her unsubtle order. After only a few minutes for his own cleanup, Sonia quickly dove into the bathing room and shut the door. She first scrubbed her body and her hair, and then refilled the tub with hot, Galar Particle-infused water meant for soothing what ailed her.

She also killed the lantern with a touch of wind magic so that darkness could melt away her reservations. She laid in the tub for a few minutes, thinking back over the past two days and how many new things she learned about Raihan.

_Controls the weather. Enjoys a drink. Fights like a master knight. Had fifteen lovers._

_Wants to give me a kiss._

She slid her hand back under the water. The last time she thought about doing this he had accidentally interrupted, but Sonia couldn’t hear anything from the other side of the door. And while a part of her felt a little guilty about being willing to do _this,_ especially with him having been so vulnerable to her this morning, she couldn’t keep herself from needing a release and this was infinitely more acceptable than doing something to him. So she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the water ripple around her as she brought his face to mind.

 _Kissing Raihan. Letting his mouth trail down to her chest,_ and she used her other hand to tease her own nipple, silently arching into the touch as she thought about him spending a few solid minutes there. _Asking him to keep going down, keep tasting her skin and discovering new paths to travel. His hands holding her waist still, hands so large that she could remember how they controlled the way her hips moved as he held her, before he finally makes his way between her legs. Now he pulls back, his arms going around her thighs, holding her open, forcing her to show him all of herself._

And Sonia’s imagination was pretty good, helped along with her own fingers following her thoughts. Her initial reaction to his request had been distaste… but fantasies were just fantasies, right? Maybe it wasn’t as weird as she thought it would be.

 _Imagining that he isn’t bothered by the smell or the taste – what does she even taste like? Sour? Tangy? Okay, off-topic. Focus on the moment when his fingers spread her apart_ , and she carefully parted her legs underwater, knees up and feet braced on the bottom, using one hand to spread herself further, and the other following this imaginary trek. _And then finds the right place for a kiss. Here?_

A brush of fingers against her clit, and Sonia let out a very soft gasp hidden under the sound of the water. _Right there. Yes, right there. She knows what his lips and his tongue feel like, knows that he can be soft and he can be rough and maybe there was a little of both in the action, just to keep her from predicting what he is going to do because he is very good at pushing her off-balance._

She could tease herself without much thought, but even though it felt great it didn’t feel mind-blowing. She was getting a little higher, a little more strained with this daydream, but it wasn’t so powerful as to push her over the edge – yet.

_Okay, she had only promised him one kiss, but maybe he was willing to indulge her in one more. And another one. And another one. Maybe if she asked nice enough._

_Maybe if she begged._

All of a sudden, something ratcheted up inside of her, and it was the thought of them trading places, of him being the one in control and her being the one who was laid out wanting more, _needing_ more but knowing it was all at his whim that made the nerves in her body become a dozen times more sensitive. The sensations were suddenly _more_ , suddenly felt much less diffuse and much more focused in that one place as she teased herself, her one hand flying back up to her breast to add to the moment.

_The ability to want him, the ability to say ‘please’ and know that his response would be genuine and not driven by magical captivation made it more erotic, made it more real, made it feel like this wasn’t just a one-time thing, wasn’t just done to scratch an itch with the closest hands nearby. That maybe he would want her again. And again. And again._

_And imagine_ that _, why don’t you?_

She barely stifled a groan as she came on her fingers, toes pointed and dangling over the tub and her body halfway out of the water. It took her a long time to float down from the high, and a feeling of indulgent lethargy overcame her. Another groan, this one more from fatigue than arousal, and she slowly climbed out of the tub and dried herself with a towel – too tired and tipsy to use magic. After she finally emerged from the bathing room dried and dressed, she carefully padded to Raihan’s bed. Sure enough, he was dead asleep.

The relief stole the final bit of strength from her legs, and she barely made it to her bed before her eyes started to close. _Maybe now that I worked some of that desire off, I can finally focus and let that thought go._

_Or maybe you’ll be doing this again tomorrow._

Sonia fell asleep before she could give herself a good answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (01/07/21): HOLY SHIT WE SURVIVED 2020 for like, less than a week. I'm super done with this reality.
> 
> So I initially intended this to be a nice, relaxing chapter about pharmacology and how Sonia gets things ready for the store, which would then allow me to have her just "make things" in future chapters without needing to go into explicit detail each time. And then she drops the damn jar, sets Raihan off into a panic attack, and now here we are having a shortened discussion about mental health issues. Which, to be fair, I had expected I would need to touch on... just not right now. Oh well. Stories have a life of their own.
> 
> [Also, Sonia indulging in some self-love? That was planned. Don't judge me, or her.]
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's been reading and commenting. Honestly, it's been very bolstering to have you guys, and makes me want to write more. I hope I can continue to bring enjoyable chapters. ☺


	15. Research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 15: “I’m looking for books on how to break magical contracts or curses.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No musical accompaniment this time around
> 
> Thanks to my beta-reader DezyPhresh. She works hard on my behalf, and I'm very grateful. ☺

When she woke up the next morning, she did what any self-respecting woman would do when faced with the embarrassing reality of masturbating to her live-in roommate.

She absolutely, 100% pretended like the previous night didn’t happen. At least she could still look him in the eye.

“Good morning,” she mumbled as he got their morning tea ready.

“Good morning,” he replied, already dressed and ready for his morning work-out. “You look tired.”

“Used up a lot of magic yesterday. Hit me harder than I thought,” she said, not certain that she was lying but certainly not telling the whole truth. “How did you sleep last night?”

He wasn’t looking at her when he said, “Fine,” so Sonia figured he was lying. Time to turn the situation around.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“But you’d tell me if you weren’t sleeping well, right? Because _I am here to help you_ ,” she said with particular emphasis.

Now he did look at her, bringing her a cup of tea. “I… woke up in night,” and for a split-second Sonia panicked because _I was very much awake at that time did he hear me?!_ But he continued, “Very early hour. You were asleep, and I did not want to wake you. I walked outside for few minutes to calm down. When I came back, I felt better and went to sleep.”

“Did you have another nightmare after that?”

“No. I woke up without… nightmare. Early, though.”

“Do you want to talk about the nightmare from overnight?”

He shook his head. Well, since this was the first day in the aftermath of the mind-trauma she induced in him, she expected it wouldn’t magically go away, nor was he going to just drop all his mental suffering in her lap regardless of how she promised to help. Such is; she’d just have to tackle this situation with patience rather than hard-headed force.

So she let him change the subject when he asked, “Are you going to do more making today?”

“Probably do something with the Cloyster meat later. But my main aim is going to the Motostoke library.”

“Oh?”

“I want to see if they have any books on breaking seals or curses. Yours in particular.”

That piqued his interest. “I go with you?”

“Sure. We’ll go after you come back.”

She decided to spend the rest of the morning finishing up the leftover Cloyster stew from Melony and doing their laundry. But that took only a bit of her time, so she finally decided to dig her nose into the Galar history book she’d been intended to read. Two hours magically disappeared, and Raihan came back right when she was in the middle of reading about the Restoration Era following the first forty years after the Invasion took place. She waved for him to get ready without looking up, wanting to get through this section before heading off.

But it seemed like a handful of seconds passed before Raihan gently touched her shoulder. “Are you ready?”

Sonia heaved a sigh. “Yeah, I guess. This will sound so stupid, but… I didn’t realize so much happened since I went into stasis. There’s a lot.”

Raihan let out a soft snort. “I am sure there is.”

So he had completely called it when he said the rain would disappear after two days. It wasn’t exactly sunny out, but there was no active rain hampering their walk. They headed off to the Motostoke Library, which was situated on the campus of the associated schools. Said campus wasn’t too different from what Sonia remembered; one building for children’s education, and one larger building for advanced studies for young adults and above. She hadn’t used either, though Dillon had gone to the university a few times for higher-level alchemy practice. On rare occasions, Gran had even taught a class on using rare materials to make high-grade and expert-grade Items.

It was also barely two blocks away from the now-defunct Power Spot. Maybe they could check it out after visiting the library.

They passed by a large fountain that stood between the two schools, offering a moment of peace to anyone bustling by. When they made it through the Library’s double wooden doors, Sonia let Raihan quietly wonder at the building’s marvels. While it seemed to be made of simple brick and mortar from the outside, there were magical paintings and spells cast upon the walls that seemed to reflect warmth and clarity of mind to all who arrived. In addition, another spell kept voices to a minimum no matter how loudly a person might try to shout. She may or may not have tested those spells when she was a child.

Once they moved past the foyer, there was a giant desk in the middle of the first floor with bustling librarians behind it offering their assistance to a range of readers. Stairs leading up to the second and third floors criss-crossed overhead, with glass walls keeping people safe on each level. She could see kids dashing around near the children’s section on the first floor, and older students wearing scholar robes heading all the way to the top.

 _Well, if any place is going have answers for us, this is it._ She walked up to the front desk. “Hello. I need some assistance.”

An older gentleman smiled at her. “Yes, miss?”

“I’m looking for books on how to break magical contracts or curses.”

“Hmmm, interesting choice. Are you a magician?”

“I have magical training, particularly in spells and TMs. Less so in magical contracts.”

“Well, I can direct you to some books on contracts in general. Anything more in-depth might be beyond us.”

Sonia had a bad feeling that she would be disappointed, but she would take what she could get. “That’s fine. I really appreciate any direction right now.”

“Here is a Genius Feather. It has the directions to the region of books of interest,” he said, handing her a softly glowing feather. When she let it go, it started to float upwards towards the third floor.

But as the two of them headed to the staircase, the librarian stopped them. “Wait, miss! Is this your slave?”

She looked at Raihan, whose expression was blank. “He’s my companion.”

“Be that as it may, but slaves are not allowed in the library. Too much risk of inconsiderate masters allowing them to act in unruly ways. Please have him wait outside.”

“But-”

She felt his fingers brush against her hand, and when she turned to look at him, Raihan gave her a very subtle headshake. _Fine._ “Then… would you mind waiting by the fountain? I’ll try to be out as soon as possible.”

He gave her a respectful bow, mostly for show than anything else, before heading out.

“I do apologize for the insistence, but I cannot allow one person to break the rules. There would be no point in having the rule otherwise,” the librarian said sympathetically. “He seemed quite polite. You’ve trained him well.”

Sonia didn’t want to talk about Raihan like that, so she mumbled words before stomping up the stairs. _Stupid librarian. Stupid rules. Stupid everything reminding us that he’s not a real person in this country. Stupid stupid stupid._

But the spells muted her steps to nothing so it wasn’t a satisfying stomp, and by the time she made it to the third floor she was a little winded from the exercise. Her Genius Feather started floating to the northern section of books, and finally came to rest in front of a large bookcase. When she picked it up, it fluttered out of her hand and headed back downstairs. With that done, she started browsing through the stacks.

An hour into her search and Sonia came a very unhappy conclusion. All of the books she was able to access could tell her how to make slave contracts, the different types of contracts, contracts for one slave verses ones over a property range, and so forth and so on. It was almost breathtaking how many different ways people could hurt other people.

 _These books are old,_ she thought. _These techniques have been around since before my time. How depressing._

But while they were exceptionally good at outlining ways of controlling people, they were not good at explaining how to break the contracts. In fact, Sonia noticed that all the books were explicit in mentioning how permanent the contracts – particularly individualized ones – tended to be. They could be shifted, or transferred, or passed down through family members… but there was nothing indicating that the contract could be cancelled, made invalid, or otherwise severed.

They did explain how slave contracts worked, though, offering some insight into their mechanics. Contracts were basically a way of forcing one person’s will over another person’s by using magic to anchor the master’s energy/spirit/magic/etc. over the slave’s. It was a terribly effective if vampiric way of controlling another person.

_Different from hypnosis, which controls the target’s thoughts that then controls actions. Different from brainwashing, which overlays false memories over the target’s original ones. It’s almost like treating the slave’s spirit like an extension of a master’s spirit, a limb not attached to the body. Almost a tool – something that cannot give consent to its use._

She sat at the table for a few minutes, head in her hands because the reality was hitting her again that while she saved his life, she essentially damned Raihan to an eternity as a piece of property. He _belonged_ to her, not just in a legal sense, but in a very real spiritual, magical sense.

 _I’m so sorry I couldn’t think of how to save you without ruining your life. I’m sorry I did this to you,_ and she pushed the books away from her as she cried to herself, tears falling silent onto the wood. _I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry this isn’t right this isn’t fair this isn’t what I wanted when I tried to help I’m so sorry Raihan I’m sorry for everything_

But this wasn’t helping him, so she took a deep breath and recited a recipe for an expert-grade Item in order to stabilize herself. _Making Sacred Ash – take three Star Pieces and expose them to a month of sunlight. Take a double handful of stardust that’s been purified through exposure to a full moon. Combine both within a vessel who’s temperature ranges between 320-325. Add the ash from a burnt Ho-oh feather, and allow them to mix together for a full twenty-four hours._

She remembered how much of a pain in the ass it had been to make it as one of Gran’s many tests, and that helped bring her out of her sorrow. Rubbing her eyes dry as she returned the books to a nearby cart, which then magically teleported them to their proper spaces on the shelf, Sonia managed to get enough of a hold on herself that she finally felt comfortable leaving the privacy of her table. When she went back downstairs, the same librarian from before recognized her.

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“No, unfortunately. I think my question is just a little too esoteric.”

“Hmm, a pity. Our library does pride itself on its knowledge base,” he said. “Perhaps the Wyndon Library would be able to help you.”

Sonia perked up. “Wyndon?”

“Yes. While both it and Hammerlocke library are larger than ours, the Wyndon library tends to have more up-to-date books and papers that may be more helpful to you. I could send off a letter making an inquiry, and if they have it then perhaps they would be willing to send it through the mail.”

“That would be wonderful! Yes, please!”

“Let me get some details on what you’re looking for before I send the formal request. What is the general subject of interest?”

“Magical contracts.”

“Voluntary or involuntary?”

“Involuntary?”

“Single use or large scale?”

“Single use.”

“Technique?”

“Brand-elemental,” she said, remembering the terminology from the books upstairs.

“All right. Let me write these points down,” and he pulled out a parchment paper and began writing information down via numbers and symbols that weren’t really a language Sonia recognized though she knew all the characters being used. Finally, he asked, “What is your question?”

“How to remove or break the contract without killing either party.”

“What is your name?”

“Sonia Magnolia.”

He scribbled down her replies word-for-word before tossing some powdered Wimpod on the ink to immediately dry it. “These requests usually take seven to ten days to be thoroughly evaluated, so if you could return at that time, I will be happy to inform you of the results,” he explained as he rolled up the parchment, tied it close with a piece of string, and hooked it to the back of a nearby Talonflame. A shoo-ing sound at the bird, and it let out a screech before flying out a window over the library’s double doors.

“Thank you! I really appreciate the help!”

“Certainly, miss. Have a nice day.”

Sonia didn’t quite skip outside, but she felt more bolstered than when she first arrived. Raihan was resting against the fountain’s base, eyes closed and arms crossed. However, as she got closer his eyes opened without prompting, telling her he wasn’t nearly as relaxed as he initially looked.

“That is not a happy look,” he said as he stood up.

“Very perspicacious,” she said dryly, and at his puzzled look she added, “Insightful. Perceptive.”

“Ah. No answer?”

“I know more about slave contracts than I ever wanted to know in my life, but it didn’t tell me how to break them. I asked the librarian to send a note off to the Wyndon Library, and I’m hoping they can send a book our way.”

He slowly nodded, looking at something in the unseeable distance, before Sonia said, “Let’s go visit the Power Spot really quickly. I want to see what happened to it.”

In Sonia’s memory, the Motostoke Power Spot was a near-holy place surrounded by a circular temple in two separate rings. The outer ring was where most people could go to bring offerings or prayers to one of the many gods represented in the temple. The inner ring, however, was where priests took care of the Power Spot by keeping it pure and clean from any monsters or negative energy. Only a select few could enter – pre-alchemists brought to bond with it, alchemy mentors to guide the students, spiritualists or mediums trying to speak with otherworldly beings, or those looking to offer themselves as candidates for mayor or lord of the city.

Now, it was a deserted old building, the previously hallowed halls fallen into ruin, and they were the only two in the area. Some of the extra rocks had been removed, but enough remained to give people an idea of what once lay here. Perhaps as a warning to the power hidden deep beneath the ground. Oddly enough, there were no city guards around it. Sonia mentioned it aloud.

“No protection if it is not powerful,” Raihan mused.

“Well, that’s the thing,” Sonia explained, remembering the Invasion chapter. “The Motostoke component of the Invasion happened because a monster got into this Power Spot. A Centiskorch got through the gates, then entered the Spot, and became so large and monstrous that it completely destroyed the Spot and wreaked havoc through the southern half of Motostoke. You’d think the Mayor would have a guard here just in case.”

Raihan said, “You said Spot was destroyed. No need for a guard when it is already dead.”

Good point; she hadn’t thought of that. But just because the entrance was destroyed didn’t mean the Power Spot itself didn’t exist anymore. Or did it? Her alchemy still worked so something must exist. This was making her head hurt, and she let it go.

They walked past the first ring, which only existed as a handful of bricks that were easy enough to step over, and into the second ring. Here, grass had begun to grow with noted enthusiasm, and it wasn’t until Sonia literally put her foot down in one spot that she felt it. Deep inside, she felt her body suddenly hum with energy, her spirit almost vibrate as she realized exactly where she was.

“Sonia?”

And then she was falling, falling, falling into the Power Spot, not “here” or “there” but somewhere between dropping and flying and this is just what it was like when she first came to offer herself to it, her Gran at her side, and it was barely a surprise when she saw something floating in that sea of red glitter, parting the light with its own energy until she was floating in front of it.

Floating in front of the Spirit of Motostoke.

It was humanoid, with an androgynous body just a little out of proportion to a normal ten-year-old’s, and a head covered in brilliant red hair – the color of Galar Particles – and eyes that were white but for a pupil of red, without evidence of an iris. It doesn’t wear clothes so much as bear a covering of dark purple over its body. When Sonia was a child, she remembered thinking it was nice that someone her size had come to show her around the Spirit world and bless her with the ability to pull Galar Particles from the space around her. Now, there was something intensely disquieting about those eyes, that barely human form, and a voice that spoke not with a mouth but with its thoughts.

_“It has been a time quite long, Sonia Magnolia.”_

She bowed her head to it. _“More than two hundred years since I came as a child to ask your blessing.”_

_“Ah. I thought it had been longer than usual. I have been impatient to see someone.”_

_“Do you know of the Wild Area Invasion? And the destruction of the Power Spot of Motostoke?”_

_“I remember it. I remember all of it. I know when a monster comes nearby and seeks to use my imprisoned power. One man – Kabu – has been very diligent in keeping them away for the past twenty years.”_

Sonia remembered that name; Leon mentioned it before. _“He is the mayor of Motostoke now. He also leads the Suppression Forces to try and keep monsters out of the city.”_

_“He feels so young. He is fiery and youthful. I like him. He feels like mine. A pity that he cannot come to meet me.”_

_“A pity that no one can meet you.”_ A thought occurs to her. _“Did not Nessa try to visit after the Invasion?”_

_“Nessa Hakkim did. As did many surviving alchemists. You are not unique in that aspect. But I cannot create a bridge to bring human children with Alchemy Skills into the Power Spot. And without my blessing, there can be no further alchemists in this city. And when the old alchemists died and there were no young ones, I have grown lonely.”_

Well that answered that question, but the Spirit of Motostoke continues. _“But you have come to me, Sonia Magnolia, after passing so many years away. Are you here to stay?”_

_“I’m not leaving Motostoke again.”_

_“That is not what I meant. Are you staying here with me? I like you. You feel like alchemy, a rare and fragile thing now.”_

Gran had told her, prior to the visit all those years ago, that the Spirit would try to encourage her to stay in the Power Spot and that she had to make sure she refused so she could come home. So she continued to carefully but respectfully turn down the offer that could trap her inside the Power Spot for the rest of her existence. “ _I could not stay before, and I cannot now.”_

_“I would like to see humans again.”_

_“Is there a way I could help rebuild the entrance to your Spot?”_

_“I fear not. It will take the power of Galar’s gods to open it up again, for it is not a physical opening but a magical one that I need. And until the remaining Power Spots in the Wild Area are no longer affected by monsters, I will not be able to accept the gods’ power.”_

_“I’m sorry. Is there anything else I can do?”_

_“You could stay.”_

_“You are very generous, but I have a home now, and someone who needs me.”_

_“I feel him now, standing in my circle. He does not have the blood of Galar.”_

_“No, he doesn’t.”_

_“I have tasted this blood before, though. I have felt it spilled upon my grounds. So much blood that I have gained a new color in my land.”_ The Spirit ran a hand through its hair, and Sonia could see a streak of cocoa brown hidden beneath the fall of red. To have lost so many Pasaari to Motostoke that they were literally part of its earth was a punch in the gut.

_“I can’t stop all that death, but I wanted to save his life.”_

_“He does not belong to Galar, but he belongs to you. I feel the connection.”_

_“Could you help me break it?”_

_“It is not mine to break. Only you can release him from the shackles on his soul, return him to himself.”_

It sucked that nothing, not even Spirit of Motostoke, could fix this problem. _“That’s what I thought.”_ She took a deep breath. _“I have to go now. He’s probably wondering where I am.”_

_“I would have you come again.”_

_“I will.”_

_“Perhaps next time… if you cannot stay with me, then you will let me stay with you.”_

Such an odd phrase, something that Gran never warned her about, but she didn’t want to insult the Spirit by asking further questions. _“… Perhaps.”_

That seemed good enough for it, and it took her hand before they started floating back up into the sky, through the ground, and there was sunlight in her eyes, and a voice in her head, and it took her a good ten seconds to piece everything together.

She was lying on her back, staring at the clouds overhead, and it was Raihan who was kneeling over her, yelling her name and talking in Pasaari, hands on her shoulders as he tried to wake her up. When she finally blinked and focused on him, she saw his expression fade from terror to relief.

“You are back,” and he pulled her into his arms, almost squeezing the breath out of her as he held her to his chest. “You are well.”

“I’m fine,” she said, unable to hug him back with her arms pinned to her sides. “I’m fine. I just had a moment to speak with the Spirit of Motostoke.”

“No, not a moment!” he said, not letting her go. “You were gone near an hour! I could not find you! I did not know what to do!”

If she’d been standing, she would have fallen over from the admission. “Oh gods, I’m sorry.”

“You are scaring me always!”

“I didn’t mean to, I promise.”

When he finally felt safe enough to let her go, Sonia was able to stay seated under her own power. She dove into her magical skills, like flexing a muscle, and was pleased to see that it didn’t seem like the Spirit messed with her connection to the Power Spot. “I think we should head home. To the Inn. Maybe take a day to relax.”

As he helped her up, Raihan growled, “I have come to conclusion. You do not need a slave. You need _da’yuu_ , a baby-watcher.”

Sonia bristled. “Hey!”

“You are always hurting yourself, _and_ being pulled into magic, _and_ having bad things happening to you.”

“Not on purpose!”

“I do not care! Now do proper thing and use me as guard!” he said, taking her hand and putting it on top of his closed fist like he was slamming dough down for kneading. “You do not go anywhere without me.”

“Who’s the master now?” she muttered under her breath as Raihan led her back towards the Inn. To his credit, he shortened his steps to hers and his arm was firm beneath her touch. It felt reassuring to have him at her side, and the one instance where she almost slipped on a puddle was a non-issue because he kept her steady the whole time. At the smirk on his lips, she had to respond.

“You know, I used to live by myself. For more than a decade.”

“It pains my insides to think of it.”

“I actually took care of myself.”

“It seems a greater lie than living so many years ago.”

They teased each other back and forth while walking back, almost hand-in-hand, and Sonia finally asked him, “Can I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“You talk about being a guard for me. Were you ever one before?”

He lost that good-natured smile immediately. Enough time stretched that Sonia said, “It’s fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring down the mood.”

“I… am not ready for talking about certain things. But I can tell you something else for the secret.” When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “I can tell you how I know Galarian.”

“From all your time here in Galar, I assumed.”

“Time let me understand your language better. But I first learn from my brother.”

“What?”

“My brother – Samir – he was very good at languages. He knew many. Pasaari, Hin’arin, Jalman, Galarian, Nihon, Aangol. More than that, I think. Words fell from his lips so easy.”

“So he taught you Galarian.”

“I was not good at learning, but he did his very good.”

“His best?”

Raihan took the correction. “He did his best.”

“Was it his Skill?”

“No. His Skill was else. But he liked words. Thought different languages sounded like music. But I am not good at music or words.”

“Don’t say that. You’re much better at Galarian than you think. I’m trying to pick up Pasaari, and you can see how well that’s going.”

“You are good. I just do not test you enough.” He cleared his throat. “ _Doh’ru, Sonia. Kag chador jo?”_

 _Me and my big mouth._ “Ah… _doh’ru, Raihan. Ma’an kedan ji, kag chador jo?”_

 _“_ _Ma’an kedi_ _._ See? Good work! Maybe I will make days when we speak only Pasaari.”

“Please don’t. My brain will melt if you try.”

“No, I have better way to do that,” he said with a completely straight face, and it took Sonia a few seconds to catch up.

“Raihan!”

“I am simply say you will like it.”

There was no way to respond to that that wasn’t either an agreement or a challenge, so Sonia had to keep her mouth shut and give him the minor victory as they headed into the Inn. For the mischievous look in his eyes and barely-there smile that was becoming more frequent, she was happy to give her pride for that. There was quite a bit that she was willing to give for him.

That afternoon, she used the Cloyster meat to craft two hundred Zinc, two hundred Iron, and two hundred Calcium Vitamin tablets. She still had some Cloyster left over, so she decided to do something that she never would normally try to make.

“What is that?” Raihan asked as she held up the large bottle of orange pills. “And why are you turning red in face?”

“Promise not to laugh?”

“Yes.”

“It’s an aphrodisiac.” That was another word not in his lexicon, and she just got a blank look, so she tried again. “It’s, uhm, a love potion. But a pill.”

“Love potion,” he said thoughtfully, then asked, “Love, like _pra’yaar_ _?_ Or like _linsa_?”

“What’s the difference?”

“ _Pra’yaar_ is, ah, _kan sadka che…_ ,” and he started tossing words to himself in both Pasaari and Galarian before finally saying, “I feel _pra’yaar_ to _Maadir_ and _Pehdir_. I had want _linsa_ from lovers.”

“So the difference between love and sex? I suppose this sort of potion would fall under the ‘sex’ definition. It works mostly in men. Improves libido and gives that, uhm, long-lasting feeling. I think it works a little in women, but I remember selling it primarily to men.”

He ran a hand through her hair, and touch surprised her. She wondered if he was going to say anything, perhaps pepper her with overly suggestive questions, but he didn’t. He just stood behind her, his fingers combing through her ponytail and his chest against her back, pressing so closely that she could feel him breathe, feel the buttons of his jacket and the metal of his belts against her spine.

“It does not make a person feel _pra’yaar_? Make person feel love?” he finally asked, sounding oddly nervous about the answer.

“No, it’s not a philter. I know there are potions or Items that can do that, and I personally know a spell called Charm that’s as close to a love spell as you can get, but I’d never use it. I don’t dabble in anything that might take away anyone’s free will or cause harm. It’s why I don’t make poisons, either.”

That seemed to release some of his tension, and he followed it up with a question that she didn’t expect.

“Do you feel love?”

She couldn’t answer; she literally could not open her mouth. All her higher-level brain functions were completely shut off because she honestly didn’t know _how_ to answer. Then she was running through names, trying to think of people, and was coming to the unfortunate conclusion that, well, she didn’t have anyone.

Except maybe one, and that wasn’t something she could tell him because they’d only known each other for barely two weeks so it was probably just infatuation, and the emotion couldn’t possibly be reciprocated while they were like this, and everything would disappear when he left anyway, so there was nothing to say on that matter.

So she looked down as she put the bottle on the table and said, “Not anymore. My family’s dead. Nessa and Laurel and my other friends are dead.” But then she shook her head, trying to throw the darkness out of her thoughts. It didn’t quite dislodge his fingers from her hair, though. “I just haven’t been in this time long enough to have people that I love. It’ll happen.”

“Yes. It will,” he said, almost idly except it wasn’t an idle comment at all.

They were both quiet again, and she couldn’t move because he was so close and she didn’t want to move, didn’t want to make him back away when having him right here felt like joyful sunlight on frostbitten skin. It felt so good to have him standing there, like he had always been at her back, and Sonia didn’t know what to say in either of the languages they shared.

“When you break the Contract,” Raihan finally said, his words now a little deeper and softer than usual, as he touched the bottle, “will you make me some?”

She couldn’t hold back the shiver that went through her, nor the way his question raised the hairs on her arms and neck. And her response, a breathy “Yes,” seemed to have a similar effect on him, considering the way his fingers fisted in her hair and he pushed against her just a centimeter.

“Then, I look forward to trying it,” he said in that same bedroom voice before letting go of the strands, pulling away, and leaving her alone and wanting in their tiny little room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (1/26/21): More of Sonia going to libraries and getting some very unsatisfying answers. I hope this also provides some answers or insights for those who asked about Raihan having been a slave for four years without a brand.
> 
> I apologize for the now-chaotic posting schedule. It's based on when I can steal some free time, usually at dead-o-clock at night during the week. Still, I hope this chapter finds everyone in good health! As always, drop a note or comment if you get the chance. I love to hear from my readers and always appreciate the thought. ❤


	16. Ranking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 16: Sonia felt her mouth and throat go dry; this was so close to the slave contract that part of her was ready to deny the offer without thinking. At the same time, she knew the difference; knew the difference between the emotion in his voice and passion in his eyes, and the brand on his chest.
> 
> The difference between a bond, and a chain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: Hypnotica by Thomas Bergersen (Two Steps from Hell). Played from the start of the chapter to the end of the exam
> 
> Also, there's a slightly... adult interaction in this chapter. It still falls under the 'M' umbrella rating, which is why I'm not broadcasting a ton of warnings.
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh for her beta reading efforts. 😘

For once, it was Sonia who had a bit of trouble sleeping that night. There was no self-love involved in this situation, though; this time, she was excited on Raihan’s behalf.

“You have been coming often to my practice,” he mused as they headed up to the Adventurers Guild that morning.

“Does it bother you?”

“No. I am just wondering.”

Telling him that she liked to watch him practice, liked to watch the motions of his body as he fought and trained, seemed weirdly personal in a way that felt different from usual, nor did she want to give away the surprise coming up. So she said, “No reason. Just because,” and he didn’t ask for more.

When they arrived and headed back to the practice arena, Sonia wasn’t shocked to see not only Master Mustard, but also a few other seemingly high-ranking adventurers standing around. There was also quite a crowd of students either leaning on the fence or sitting directly on the wooden slats. It surprised Raihan, though, who stalked over to his teacher and asked, “What this?”

“The practice arena.”

He was still holding onto the Slave Habit of not talking egregiously in front of people, so he didn’t press further even though Sonia could see the question on his face. However, she didn’t want to say anything in case Mustard had some secret plan and her words would interfere with it, so she just perched on the top fence rail right beneath the canopy and waited to see what would happen.

“Warm up,” and he tossed the usual practice sword to Raihan.

They started with the basic practice forms that Sonia had seen before, but with one noted change – Mustard was making Raihan lead them, standing in the front as if he were teaching students. They were so in-sync that there was no different in the motions, like choreographed dancers on the same stage. The audience, ranging from young men to the hardened adventurers, watched with silent wonder. And when the two faced off against each other, Mustard would call out a different number and they would switch into new fighting poses.

“Five,” he said, and Raihan sliced downwards from where he had hefted the sword on his shoulder, batted Mustard’s sword aside, and pulled up immediately to slice the older man across the neck. The practice sword did no damage, merely highlighting the attack’s fatal punishment, before Mustard said, “Six.”

And on he went for twenty-plus unique poses, moving breathlessly through them like he’d been doing this for years and not just two weeks. When they went through all the poses, Mustard and Raihan saluted each other and the audience gave a well-deserved round of applause that Sonia joined in on.

“Gimme a minute,” Mustard said, taking the wooden sword from Raihan as the latter wiped his brow and neck with the sleeve of his training outfit. Sonia saw Mustard go into the building and return with what was obviously a real spear. The double-edged blade on the end was nearly a half-meter long – maybe more since she was seeing it at a distance – and the shaft had to be at least two meters tall. Oddly enough, it was black instead of the expected wooden brown. The blade itself shone like something between diamonds and stars, though it had to be made of metal, and Sonia would bet it could almost cut a storm cloud in two from how fine the edge was. There was a metal hilt at the attachment point, and a flash of yellow told her at least some of the design was gold.

He was trailed by a gentleman about ten years younger than himself, with carmine-red hair that spiked in all directions, and stood a little taller than Mustard though shorter than Raihan. He carried his own spear, though this one had a curved blade like a sickle right underneath the head. Sonia wondered why someone would add it, though it couldn’t be just for show. But then she noticed that the adventurers around her were whispering and pointing (mostly in awe) as the duo met Raihan in the field, and she figured out that the spear wasn’t the noteworthy point.

Raihan, having picked up on the fact that something unusual was happening, and stood at sharp attention, making Sonia’s thought that he must have been a soldier or a knight that much more accurate. Mustard stepped to the side and gestured as the other man faced off against Raihan, and he made certain that his voice would carry through the wind though he pretended he was only talking to his pupil.

“I’ve asked a specialist to come down and give me a hand today. This is Guildmaster Lance of the Hammerlocke Adventurers Guild, and a good friend of mine. He’s a master with two-handed weapons and polearms, and can show off your skills better than I during this exam.”

Raihan hid it well, but Sonia saw the way his eyes went just a bit wider and his mouth fell open enough to show the single fang. _He really didn’t know._

“You’re too kind,” Lance said demurely, his voice warm and deep. “And it is my honor to work with Guildmaster Mustard, former Champion of the Knights of Sword and Shield.”

 _Oh good gods!_ Sonia thought, her jaw dropping. She figured that Mustard was the Guildmaster here in Motostoke, but in no way, shape, or form did she think that he’d once been the highest-ranking knight in the goddamn country. And even though Raihan himself couldn’t possibly understand the titles, he did very much understand the implication that both men were masters in the art of war.

So he offered Lance the same gesture he’d used on Mustard before, two fingers to the forehead before resting his fist on his chest while bowing deeply. “Honored, Masters” he said.

“Mustard has praised your skills quite a bit,” Lance continued, gesturing for Raihan to stand straight. “I’d like to see them for myself.”

Raihan offered a bow of his head in acquiescence, but the confusion was still very evident on his face as he looked for the practice spear. It wasn’t until Mustard literally held out the spear a few centimeters in front of Raihan’s face that he realized exactly what was being said. He took the weapon with a slow hand, holding it with near reverence. A young student ran forward and handed Mustard two thick leather bags; the Guildmaster tightly wrapped up the blades of both weapons before he pressed his right fist into his left palm and held it at shoulder height.

“You may begin at any time,” and he backed up against the fence right next to Sonia. To her, he whispered, “Let’s see if he can earn your gift.”

“Of course he will.” And Mustard only raised an eyebrow to her before turning back to the two warriors.

“Show me what you have,” Lance said, and he stepped back into a natural T-stance.

Raihan took a deep, centering breath, closing his eyes for just a moment, before dropping into his own stance. Now his eyes shone with a vigor that wasn’t present before, even in his previous sparring days. They stood facing each other for only a second, motionless, breathless, timeless.

And then he dashed forward, swiping upwards with the butt of his spear, and when Lance parried it aside, he continued the motion with the bladed end slicing out to Lance’s leg, and then they were moving too fast for her to keep track of anything but a motion here and there. Lance bending down, then jumping up and literally _kicking_ the butt of Raihan’s spear away so he could smack the younger man in the chest with the shaft. Raihan using his spear to vault right over Lance’s head, kicking against the other man’s back and sending him staggering forward. Lance swatting away another blow, almost lazy in how he spun the spear in his hands like a fan; Raihan stepping forward then backwards as if this were nothing more strenuous than a fancy dance done with sticks. They deflected back and forth, swinging their weapons around so easily it was as if they were reaching out with their hands to attack, the staffs knocking against each other in almost rhythmic drumming fashion, and neither seemed to be giving any leeway.

Until Lance got the upper hand and knocked Raihan’s spear right out of his grasp and sent the younger man to the ground. But before a downward stab could catch him in the gut, Raihan rolled backwards, grabbed the wooden shaft of Lance’s spear, and pulled as hard as he could. It sent the other man tumbling down right into a smooth somersault and gave Raihan enough time to hook a foot under his spear, toss it into the air, and grab it before Lance could recover. Using the nearby fence as support, Raihan jumped onto the middle slat and leaped off, twisted his body in mid-air, and stabbed out with one arm towards Lance’s face. Lance dodged aside easily enough, but it meant that he had given Raihan some space to regain his bearings.

A swing of his spear, and Sonia realized the benefit of the crescent blade was that it allowed him to chop at an opponent instead of just stabbing or slicing. Raihan’s blade met it in the center, and the ringing of the two metals against each other made Sonia – and most of the other spectators – wince from the noise, despite the leather cloth protecting both.

Then, with a grin that had more than a hint of bloodlust, Lance said, “ _Dragon Dance_.”

An aura of deep blue suddenly surrounded him, and he swiped to the side so quickly that Sonia didn’t see what happened, but Raihan had been sent tumbling away so forcefully that he actually hit the fence post with a grunt. But he didn’t do more than shake his head before jumping to his feet and throwing himself forward, using the post as a brace as Lance came at him like an arrow from a crossbow. This time, the two blades rang into the air as they hit each other over and over, swinging around so fast that Sonia could only see their weapons like streaks of black or brown in the air and in their hands.

“Come on, son, I know you have more than that in you,” Lance said. The words were a taunt, and despite Raihan’s attempts to act deaf or dumb to the Galarian around him, Sonia saw the way the phrase cut into him.

And she didn’t like that at all.

“Raihan!” she yelled across the field. “You can do it! I know you can!”

He shot her the briefest of glances, almost as if he had only turned his head to watch Lance’s spear come at him from the right, but she didn’t miss the little smile that now graced his lips. He started pressing harder into Lance, and she saw the way he began using his height and reach advantage to make Lance’s footwork a little harder, make the other man really earn the hits he was setting up. But Lance’s speed and strength hadn’t diminished a bit, and it was clear that Raihan had to act more drastically or Lance would win by endurance alone.

That is, until Raihan tripped. His foot slipped out and backwards, bringing him down on one knee as Lance saw the opening and took it. He stabbed his spear forward, ready to hit Raihan dead center in the chest with the point.

_NO!_

But Raihan slid to the side, almost back-bending with uncanny fluidity, and as he stood up, he locked his spear underneath Lance’s and wrenched him upwards. The combination of force and Raihan’s greater height meant that the older man had no choice but to let go of the weapon as it flew into the air, and he quick-stepped backwards until he was nearly three spear-lengths away from Raihan.

Who planted his legs, lifted his spear to the sky, and shouted, “ _Azjana Tev’phan!_ ”

And while his previous manipulation of the weather had been a gentle erasing of the storm, now he pulled the clouds overhead so quickly it was like he flicked off a lantern, and a bolt of lightning from the thunderheads shot onto the tip of his raised spear. With another wordless yell, he brought it down in a two-handed arc that lit up the practice arena like a miniature sun, aiming right towards the defenseless Lance.

Not so defenseless, though, for he had his spear back in his hand, and a magical shield glowing from the tip that took the lightning bolt, but the force made him grit his teeth and drop his center to keep from getting thrown backwards. It was enough, though, to give Raihan a chance to run forward on wind-winged feet with sparks still flying from his spear as he aimed a slice against Lance’s neck. But the other man saw him coming and swung upwards with the shielded weapon, and Sonia saw with horror that _the leather coverings had come off both spears!_

The two weapons met, and a huge **_crack_** , like thunder ripping through a mountain, echoed around the arena and off the walls of the nearby buildings as a bright yellow flash blinded everyone at the same time. When Sonia managed to blink the sparks out of her vision, she was breathless at the sight.

Raihan standing with his spear against the side of Lance’s neck, barely pressed to the skin as a fine line of blood started to drip beneath its touch. And Lance’s crescent blade was against Raihan’s left side, the cloth starting to turn red from the unseen cut underneath. And both men were breathing harshly, the rain now falling on them from above, trapped against one another as everyone waited to see what happened next.

“Give me the three gold,” Mustard said to Sonia beneath his breath, and when she turned to him with a question in her eyes, he snapped. “Now!”

She quickly dug them out and handed to them to Mustard, who pushed himself off the fence and walked towards the two men as he pocketed the coins. “Gentleman, the battle is over.”

It wasn’t until Lance pulled back that Raihan did the same, though she could see he was trying to shake off the adrenaline from his posture. Everyone was talking to each other, commenting on the battle, and making a general noise. When Mustard pointed up, indicating his annoyance with the rain, Raihan made an impatient gesture to clear away the clouds back to the mildly overcast day it had been before.

Once the weather had improved, Mustard said, “Although I am the Guildmaster in Motostoke, I offer Guildmaster Lance the distinction of informing everyone as to the results of today’s Adventurer’s Ranking Exam.”

The arena went quiet with anticipation. Lance pressed a hand against the cut on his neck, then casually wiped the blood on his pants. Slinging the spear over his shoulder, he let his voice ring out as he said, “It is my privilege to announce that Raihan has passed his exam. Furthermore, Mustard and myself are in agreement that he has earned the title of an A-rank Adventurer!”

The highest rank than could be achieved by Adventurers, and not one that was freely given. The crowd around the arena because to shout and cheer in earnest, and Sonia figured a goodly number of people from outside the Guild must have come by to watch the show because there were nearly double the number of spectators from before.

“This spear which you hold in your hands is a sign of your strength. The blade is forged from a Steelix spike, and the shaft is carved from a Rillaboom’s tree. There is none like it, as there is no adventurer like you here in Motostoke,” Mustard continued, a secret note of pride in his voice. “Good work, Raihan. You’ve earned it.”

He looked absolutely gobsmacked; completely overwhelmed with what had just happened over the past thirty seconds. Lance gave him a firm shake on the shoulder, then extended his hand. When Raihan looked at it in shock, he moved forward and purposefully grabbed the younger man’s hand to shake it.

“If you’re looking for work in the future, the Hammerlocke Adventurers would be happy to have another Spear-bearer in its ranks.”

“Save it, Lance,” Mustard growled. “He’s one of mine.”

Lance laughed as he let go of Raihan’s hand. “Of course, of course. Well, it was a pleasure to spar with you. You’re quite good.”

A moment to find his voice, and he finally said, “Thank you, Master Lance. Thank you very much.”

Lance gave him that same warm smile and slapped Raihan on the back. “Let’s get patched up.”

Now _that_ , Sonia could do. She stopped them before they headed into the building. “Hold on a moment!” she said, pulling her jar out of her bag. “I’ve got something to help with that!”

“Oh?” Lance said, and when she gestured for him to bend down, she wiped a bit of her healing ointment against his neck. “Ah, that stings – oh! My, how effective!” he said, tapping the wound with wonder. She could see it forming a healthy clot, and the edges of the skin starting to knit together. “Thank you, miss.”

“You’re welcome,” she said shyly before gesturing for Raihan to lift up his shirt. She dabbed some ointment on his cut, too – also shallow, and easy enough to fix. He was so used to her medicines that he didn’t flinch from the initial freeze-burn. “You were really amazing. I mean, you both were! It was so intense, and I’ve never seen anything like it. Especially the magic. Your talents are really impressive! Sorry, I’m babbling.”

Lance smiled. “Thank you, miss. I take it you two are friends?” he said, gesturing between her and Raihan.

“Yes.”

“Quite a lucky man to have such a lovely woman with him,” and he gave her a sweeping bow and a smile. She though that if she were a decade older, she might have returned that smile in _that_ sort of way. “Perhaps you two will come to visit Hammerlocke, and we can really give the crowd a show.”

“Maybe. I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not the one doing the fighting.”

A laugh. “Ah, how true! Well, Raihan, let me know if you ever need anything. Talent like yours should be nurtured, and I would be happy to help.”

“Thank you,” he said again, still sounding quite dazed.

Mustard came around, holding a fitted cover for the spear’s blade that Sonia took from him. “You’re done training with me. You can come back if you need practice space, but now that you’re a ranked adventurer, I might have to call on you for teaching or missions.”

That helped snap him out of his thoughts as he recognized the order. “Yes, Master Mustard.”

“Now take your ass home. I’m done dealing with you for at least a week.”

“Thank you, Masters,” and he bowed low and gestured to both of them. They waved at him and Sonia, then walked into the building together, chatting about whatever they wanted.

It took another fifteen minutes for them to leave, since a whole bunch of kids ( _okay, teens_ ) kept coming up to him and asking for a handshake or advice or to just gush about the fight. More than one person was staring at his new spear, which he held slung over his shoulder with a mix of practiced ease and careful respect. Sonia herself placed the scabbard on top and tied it into place when she saw someone get a little too close.

Finally, sensing that he was about to collapse from all the events of the morning, Sonia said not-too-quietly to him, “I’m hungry! Let’s get something to eat!”

Recognizing the order from a stronger will, the crowd dispersed with only a few more congratulations as the duo headed back towards the Inn. Sonia chose to say nothing, knowing that he needed to spend some time in his own head figuring out what just happened, and when they arrived, she shooed him up to their room while she ordered lunch from Melony.

“Is that a new weapon I saw just now?” she asked with a wink.

“Yes. Raihan passed the Adventurer’s Exam. He’s an A-rank.”

“Gracious, I hadn’t realized that he was so impressively trained!” she said enthusiastically. “If you’d be willing to give it up, I could ask Hosea to make you two a special dinner with some Cloyster meat.”

“That’d be great! In the meantime, we’ll take whatever you have for lunch.”

“Sour potato curry, and should be quite filling after the workout he’s had. Maybe I’ll add a few more potato chunks just in case,” she said, muttering to herself as she went to get two plates.

Sonia took a seat at one of the tables and waved for Raihan to join her as he came down the stairs. He still looked so off-balance that she could have knocked him over with a feather, so she took pity on him and said, “I ordered us some lunch. I figured you’d be hungrier than me after all the fighting just now.”

“I am,” he admitted, and continued to stay silent through lunch. Fair point, though, he ate at twice the speed she did, and Sonia was certain that Melony had given him an extra portion along with a chunk of bread. They took only a minute to let the meal settle before he abruptly said, “Let us go upstairs.”

Sonia followed his lead, taking hers and Raihan’s plate to Melony’s counter and offering profuse thanks. He led the way, taking the steps _three_ at a time ( _damn him for having legs longer than my entire body_ ) and throwing impatient glances behind him.

“I’m coming,” she said between gritted teeth. “Calm down.”

He didn’t apologize, just opened the door to their shared room, almost vibrating with energy though his motions were oddly clunky, and she purposefully took her time entering the room. But when she got in, he shut the door and threw the lock in one smooth motion.

Then he fell to his knees in front of her, resting his forehead on his hands.

“Raihan, wh-”

“I cannot say my thank you as true as I want,” he said, and it sounded like he was trying to swallow all the emotion in his throat. “But my heart is full of thanks and more. Because you give me many gifts.”

“No, I-”

“You gave me healing, and food, and strength. You brought me to Master Mustard and let me train with him. And today, I was given chance to find myself. I am closer to who I was. And your gift is without limit. I have not done things to earn it.”

She knelt down and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Raihan, you’ve been working nonstop for the past four years, and frankly there’s nothing _I_ can do to repay that. So you don’t have to bow down in front of me like this. Never, in fact.”

“I need to,” he said, desperation creeping into his voice, and he _still_ wouldn’t look at her. “I need to promise to you.”

“You’re already a slave. I won’t take anything else from you.”

“No, you do not understand. This is about _afkaar._ I do not had _afkaar_ for four years.”

“ _Afkaar_?”

“Doing right. Doing what I must because it is good.”

Sonia wasn’t quite sure she was following. “Is it, like, duty? A job?”

“ _Naa_. More!”

She wasn’t going to figure this out, not with him so out of sorts and her at a total loss. “Then, this _afkaar_. What do you need?”

With a pull of his hands, she got the idea that he wanted her standing up. Once in place, he began speaking in Pasaari, words too fluid and foreign beyond her limited vocabulary, but she got the basic principle when he took her hands and kissed both her middle fingers at the base knuckle, right over the fire ring on her right hand. It was probably a trick of the room that light started to pour in a little more vigorously through the window, though perhaps Raihan had pushed some of the clouds away for a moment.

He brought his gaze up to hers, and this angle of her looking down at him was a mimic of that first afternoon when she evaluated his injuries and gave him her name, making the hairs on her arms stand at attention. Then Raihan clearly said, “My blade and body is yours. I will protect you now until I cannot serve.”

Sonia felt her mouth and throat go dry; this was so close to the slave contract that part of her was ready to deny the offer without thinking. At the same time, she knew the difference; knew the difference between the emotion in his voice and passion in his eyes, and the brand on his chest.

_The difference between a bond, and a chain._

So she simply replied, “Thank you, Raihan, and I accept your vow. My life is in your hands.”

“In my hands,” he said, voice taking on that deeper tone again, and one hand slid to the back of her head before he pulled her down for a deep, skin-tingling kiss.

It wasn’t often (ever) that she was the taller of the two, and it was a novel enjoyment to taste him from this angle. She thought there might be a tingle of electricity on his tongue, and a breeze blowing against her hair to send her curls dancing around them, and sunlight spreading across the room like a blanket of warmth and delight.

And maybe she was letting him take off her cloak so it could fall gracelessly to the floor, and maybe she was letting him bring his mouth down to her neck, kissing and nipping in the _just right_ places to give her the most shocks. And maybe she was undoing his ponytail, pulling the strands out so she could run her fingers through his hair and touch his head, his cheeks, his neck, his shoulders. And maybe she should be stopping him from letting his hands fall to her waist, letting his fingers roam until they found the place where her shirt tucked into her pants so that he could free the cloth… but she wasn’t. She didn’t stop his hands, moving carefully over her torso, as they started to slowly lift her shirt up. She didn’t stop him when they reached underneath to her camisole and began that same dramatically slow climb until both garments were rumpled right at her breasts.

But she did let out a gasp when he pulled away from her mouth to bend down and start laying kisses on her hip. “Raihan!”

“ _Kirp’ha,_ _Sonia_ , please do not make stop,” he said in a ragged voice. “Please.”

 _Why would I want him to stop?_ She thought dumbly. She couldn’t remember how to say ‘no’, not with him worshiping her like this. His mouth was starting to climb, his tongue flicking out to draw little stars on her torso, and Sonia’s voice was going to start breaking out of her mouth regardless of how badly she wanted to keep quiet because he was very good and she was very needy. **“S… Soundproof,”** she said, barely able to get the spell out and a hand slapped against the wall before he quickly dropped a little nibble against her rib. “AH!”

“ _Es, Es_ ,” he murmured, his hands at her back and holding her – and her shirt – in place. “That voice. That lovely sound. _Vashu, beln’du_.”

And Sonia wasn’t at all prepared for when he skipped up from her rib straight onto her breast, and she made a sound somewhere between a cry and a moan as his lips gently caressed the tip, and her hands were suddenly entangled in his hair, her eyes closed as she focused on the sensation of him licking and sucking. She’d always enjoyed it when Dillon or Garrett had played with her like this, and Raihan’s attention was no exception; he seemed even more motivated than they had been to keep pulling desire through her skin. He was letting out his own pleased sounds, deep groans that echoed up his throat and into his mouth, making her resonate with his touch.

She kept making those gasps, kept saying his name and calling out to the gods as he moved from one side to the other, never staying on one too long before switching. Occasionally he took so much of her in his mouth that she could feel the press of his fang into her breast, leaving a little mark in his wake. The one moment when she managed to peek down and look at him, her mind was overcome at the sight of _Raihan_ _on his knees, brow furrowed with powerful intent, one hand on my hip and the other cupping a breast, sucking on me like he’s drinking sweet wine_ and when his eyes met hers it sent a shock right through her that made her eyes roll closed and her back arch like she was a well-paid harlot.

In her head it had only been about 2 years since Garrett, but her body was definitely acting like it’d been 200 years with how overwhelming all the sensations were. And she wanted to give in so badly when the hand on her hip went to her pants and started undoing the ties _oh gods yes I want more I want more I want him!_ , but forced herself to moan, “No, Raihan, no, don’t, not yet.”

He let out his own frustrated sound, releasing her breast to aim up and take her mouth with his as both hands went down to stroke and knead the bottom of her cheeks, trying to let his fingers touch in the middle. He was forceful, demanding, and oh gods did Sonia want to yield and let him have what he wanted, what _she_ wanted… but she couldn’t. They had gone too far, crossed a line that she shouldn’t have let him cross, but it had felt so good and she didn’t want him to stop, wanted him so badly it was beyond hunger into this nameless, all-encompassing need that was eating away at her.

But even if she would compromise herself, she would not compromise _him_.

So she kissed him and touched him and ran her fingers from his hair to his neck until she could cup his face in her hands. Then she breathed her words into him.

“Please don’t leave me.”

“ _Naa_ ,” he said immediately, between kisses.

“Please be mine.”

“ _Es_.”

“And when I break the slave contract,” and she took a moment to gather her fortitude, “please make me yours the way we want it.”

It was his turn to groan into her lips. “ _Es, es, mol kheldik, tuw’hir jo, haamsha jors_.”

She didn’t recognize all the words, but the Pasaari sent sweet little tingles through her and helped keep the lust at bay. It allowed their kisses to go from heated to warm to soft, helped her put his arms around her torso and her shirt back down to where it belonged, and gave them both the ability to bring the moment into an embrace, his head tucked underneath hers for stability as their breathing started to even out.

“I hope you don’t do this with everyone else you swore fealty to,” Sonia said, and Raihan burst out into laughter.

“No, only you,” he said, and she saw a real fangy grin on his face as he continued to chuckle to himself over her phrase.

Sonia knew that asking _who else did you swear to_? was going to take the conversation into territory that she didn’t think he was ready to cross into, so she just continued to stand there, playing with his hair and stroking his neck. “So what was that, anyway? That vow?”

“Pasaar does not have adventurers like Galar,” he said, then went silent for longer than Sonia thought was reasonable. When she looked down at him with a questioning glance, he looked back up before saying, “It is a promise of protection – _vran_. My life is yours. My all is yours.”

“It… makes me a little uncomfortable,” she admitted. “It seems too much like the slave contract.”

“I give because I want. This,” and he touched his brand, “is not me. Not _vran_.”

There was nothing to say to that; she knew it just as he did. But their lives were twinned together – _djadut bamed_ – and regardless of how it started, they weren’t the same people they’d been two weeks ago.

That moment of insight made Sonia hug him just a little more tightly. _We’re better than who we were before._

“Did you choose my weapon?” he asked curiously as he traced patterns on her back.

“No, I asked Mustard to find one for you. All I did was give him the coins. And before you give me any nonsense about owing me,” she said quickly, “you were the one who earned it. So it’s my gift to you.”

“I have not owned weapon since before I was slave. This, more than anything other, is what makes me feel free.”

“Mustard doesn’t care that you’re a slave,” she said, making it not quite a question.

“It is… good thing. I was afraid he would. But I am happy because I can do work that I like – when I am not with you.”

Sonia smiled down at him. “I have my job, and you have yours. I won’t need a bodyguard at all times, you know. It’s not as if I lead an exciting life.”

He gave her a sharp look. “Are you making joke? I know no person in Galar, in _Pasaar_ , who could be so much trouble.”

“You know, I could always push you down.”

“I do not think you could,” he grinned.

She tried to push him away, but his arms were pretty well locked around her torso, and she realized that he meant to take her down with him if he fell. “I’m not sure I like when you win our arguments,” she grumped.

“I enjoy it greatly,” he said, not losing that grin.

“So what do we do with the spear?” she asked, gesturing to the weapon carefully resting on his bed. “Tell me you don’t sleep with it.”

Another snort of laughter, and Raihan stood up. “No, I am not that much need of company,” he said as he headed over to the bed, picking it up. “Is not easy to carry and does not seem to have changing wood of my old spear, so I must decide where it goes.”

“What’s a changing wood?”

“My other spear could be tall or short with magic. Easy carry,” he said, tapping the shaft. “This one does not change. Is still very good, though!” he quickly added.

Sonia shrugged; what did she know about that kind of stuff? “Maybe that’s a Pasaar kind of magic,” she said.

He looked very thoughtful at that idea. “Maybe.” He carefully tilted the weapon back and forth, as if judging the weight again, before placing it on the table, and she watched him run the tips of his fingers along the shaft. There was memory in his eyes, that much was certain, and she left him to it while she banished the Soundproof spell and replenished her money pouch so that she could pay Kaj and Alon tomorrow when they went to visit. They were going to be _very_ strapped for cash until she could do another round of Item-making or her store was open.

 _So why wait?_ She glanced over at Raihan. “Can I ask a favor?”

“Yes.”

“I want to do some prep work for the next few days in terms of Item crafting and medicine making. Could you get a Mudsdale, take these boxes,” and she gestured to the one filled with ointments and lotions, the other filled with soaps and remaining ingredients from baking cookies, “and meet me at the house in, uhm, two hours?”

He gave her a flat look. “You are going without me?”

“I don’t know how to nicely say that I think you need some private time, and I’m subtly trying to give it to you.”

“Did my vow just now not happen?!”

“Oh no, it definitely did. And everything after,” she said, feeling her neck go hot, “but… you just got something that’s the equivalent of a new alchemy set with a library of ingredients for me. It’s personal, and you deserve some time alone to come to grips with what happened. I just want to run around and get some boxes and things, which I don’t need help with, and you can come meet me at the house with the Mudsdale and we’ll work together.”

He did not look particularly pleased, but she saw the ways his gaze went back to the spear a few times while she talked, so she put a hand on his arm.

“Please, take your time. Do whatever you need to do to make it yours-”

“My magic inside already. After the fight, it has my _djan._ ”

“Ah. Well, if you really want to follow me around, I won’t stop you.”

“And it is not because you do not want me?”

“Of course not! I l-like having you around. That won’t change.”

“Then, I will listen. And stay. For once.”

She smiled. “I’ll put this moment in my memory forever,” and she went on tiptoes to give him a kiss on the neck. “Remember, meet me at the house in 2 hours.”

His reply was a full-on kiss that left her breathless before he smirked and said, “I will not ever forget you. Now go, before I do something you will like too much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (02/01/21): I've had this chapter written for months. Damn near came to me in a vision. I mean, you can't tell me the mental picture of Raihan kicking ass with a spear and weather techniques isn't amazing as all get-out. 'Cause it is.
> 
> So I'm going to try and pound out a chapter a week and finish this story before April. I've been ignoring "Your World was Not Mine"/"A Choice You Make Again and Again" for a long time and I need to re-visit them, but I don't think I can do it until I get this done because the muse has been riding me like a damn Rapidash since I started this story. But I WILL finish all of them, I swear to Zacian!
> 
> Thanks for coming by to read! I'd love to hear from you! ❤


	17. Appraisal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 17: The Charmander came to her call, letting out a friendly screech as she tossed some magic sparks and firewood into the kiln. “We’ve got quite a bit of work today, so I hope you’re up for working hard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DezyPhresh for beta-reading. You rock!

Sonia hustled out before she was gripped with more bad impulses. First, she made another run to the bookstore and bought some more spell paper and ink, then scoured some the businesses that she felt comfortable visiting. From Milo, he gave her three empty boxes and an old tarpaulin; from Eli, she got two more boxes and some parchment paper. From the Adventurers Guild, she got some discarded uniforms that were better described as rags. That would be plenty for what she needed to do. It wasn’t heavy but it sure was awkward to carry. Well, she needed the workout.

Sonia brought everything to the house, waving to Kaj and his men as she came in. It looked like there were still protective liners on the house’s face, where the bulk of the work was being done.

“Carrying quite a bit there, miss,” Alon said, taking two of the boxes from her. “Where should this go?”

“Thank you so much! Let’s bring it into the upstairs workroom,” she said. “It looks like you guys are pretty far along.”

“We’re actually done with your storefront,” he said with a grin. “It didn’t take as much time as we thought because we didn’t need to repair any structural defects and all the walls we knocked down weren’t part of the interior load bearing frame. And we were lucky – one of the older houses in upper Motostoke was being torn down, and we got to take all the windows and bunch of furniture from there.”

“Good. I’m glad this hasn’t been a horrible job,” Sonia said as they placed everything down. “Don’t let me keep you, though. I have a few things to finish up here.”

“Sounds good, miss. Come back tomorrow for Dad’s professional insight, but I think you’ll be able to move back in within a few days.”

“Great! Thanks, Alon.”

“No problem. And thanks again for the sweets. We – me and the men – really liked them.”

“I’ll make more. And you’ll be able to buy them here in a few weeks.”

“Really?” and he lit up like a lantern. “Great! I can’t wait!”

He left her alone, and Sonia started drawing anti-degradation spells using her new spellbook paper as she planned her future work. _These two boxes will be Potions, Super Potions, and Hyper Potions. This box will be Repels and Super Repels. This box will be Ethers and Elixirs. And this box… will be Max Potions, Max Repels, and Max Elixirs._

For the last box, Sonia made sure to draw a Light Screen TM, just to make sure there would be absolutely no degradation of the contents inside. If Leon and Hop were right, and Max Items were not just rare but invaluable, she couldn’t afford to let anything happen to these vials. As a way to predict her measurements, she filled the boxes side to side, then bottom to top with vials as if she were really packing them away for the Black Charizard Corps.

_Five by five by three; these must be taller than the wine box from Melony. Times five boxes, and that’s 375 potions; I don’t have enough pre-made vials. I need to make more, and it might be worth it to make a few large-scale reservoirs in addition to vials. Well, at least I have a Charmander who might be willing to kill some time with me._

She could bring along two of the still-empty boxes; she hadn’t yet activated the anti-degradation spells, nor did she have to politely stack the empty vials. Given how many she’d made on the previous trip, if she used six bags of finely-ground sand she could make plenty of vials and at least a dozen large glass containers. The larger containers were going to have to be crafted “free-hand”, using her vessels as the crucibles, and that was going to be a major pain in the ass. _I’ll do those last._

A knock on the open door, and Sonia looked up to see Raihan standing there with the box of lotions and ointments. After putting it down, she saw that he didn’t have his spear though he still had the sword. At her puzzled look, he seemed to read her mind as he said, “It is on Mudsdale. No one will take.”

“Are you sure?”

Now a smile that was all teeth and fangs. “Yes.”

_Oh, that is not a nice smile_. “All right. Well, I’m about ready to go. Where are the soaps?”

“In kitchen. Has cooking items, did not want to mix up.”

“Perfect! We’ll put everything away later, since none of it degrades at room temperature. Let’s bring these two boxes, and we’ll head back into the same area where I made vials before. Remember the place? Right off Bridge Field?”

“Yes. I am ready.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

They packed up the empty boxes and a few sacks with the crucibles, and Sonia tossed on a bag of stardust and powdered Wishing Pieces before they headed back to the Wild Area. She didn’t have a Repel this time, but Raihan looked unconcerned as he led them back to Bridge Field. Her kiln was still present, unaffected by the randomly changing weather, but she’d need more sand and some firewood.

“You get the wood, I’ll get the sand,” she said, and Raihan headed in one direction while she took the other. He was finished faster than she was, but their combined efforts brought plenty of both to her workstation. While she worked on refining the base ingredients, she sent him off searching for more stardust and Wishing Pieces. They ate lunch together, her running through the plan with him, before Sonia stood up and stretched.

“This is going to be a long afternoon,” she groaned as she rolled her shoulders and neck. “Let’s get started. **Summon Fire Spirit.** ”

The Charmander came to her call, letting out a friendly screech as she tossed some magic sparks and firewood into the kiln. “We’ve got quite a bit of work today, so I hope you’re up for working hard.”

This time around, they were a well-oiled machine. Raihan took care of the wood like before, but he also tossed in some of his magic which made the Charmander hiss with pleasure and the fire burn with increased vigor. It left Sonia with a little extra in reserves, and she went through the vial-forming process feeling more focused than before. By the time she was done with the four hundred-plus vials, she was still raring to make the additional free-hand containers.

But then a Linoone ran into the area, and it was only by the grace of practice that she didn’t drop the still-cooling vessels when it reared up onto its hind legs and growled at her. All she could do was stand there, arms out, and think _oh hell that’s right I didn’t use a Repel_ before Raihan’s spear suddenly came down like a bolt from the blue and pinned the Linoone to the ground. It wriggled for a few seconds before going limp, blood spilling into the grass as its eyes clouded over.

“Is fine,” Raihan said, and now she was able to focus on him standing above the dead monster, carefully pulling out the blade before toeing it. “Not hurt you.”

“Good,” she said faintly. Sonia had seen monsters and animals die before, but it wasn’t ever a fun experience.

He looked out into the tall grass and swept the spear into it. He must not have been aiming for anything because a handful of wild monsters went dashing off in different directions, and none of them were hit.

“Finish your vials. I will scout,” he said. He also grabbed the Linoone by the tail and pulled it into the brushes before gently dropping it and circling around the area.

_We were lucky to get as far as we did before something attacked,_ Sonia thought as she finished the last of the Item vials. Once they were cool enough, she melded the dozen vessels into three large ones. This part was going to be trickier, though. She gathered sand into a fourth vessel and began to strengthen the walls. When she initially put it into the kiln, there was a sharp **_crack_** as the vessel broke from the heat, and she lost the first batch of sand.

_Fuck! Try again, Magnolia!_

She had to try two more times before the fourth attempt was successful. But since she was using her own vessel rather than a crucible, she could feel the power from the heat and pressure within her body, like trying to work while she was febrile and achy and _sick_. She knew it was draining her magic and energy at least ten-fold from making the vials, try to hold up against the power of the Charmander’s fire, but she didn’t need to make too many. _Besides, I think my magic power has increased since I fell asleep. Let’s see how far I can go._

She ended up getting only six large containers made before the vessel-crucible shattered and Sonia felt the backlash badly enough to knock her on her ass. She actually dropped one of the cooling vessels, breaking _that_ container, before she managed to get a hold of herself and slowly bring the rest to the ground.

“Sonia!”

_Well, I’m about to get yelled at again_.

Raihan came back to her side, likely having heard the breaking glass, and knelt beside her. “Are you well?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, and at his frown she explained, “Using my own vessels as a crucible burned through my magic. But I can walk and talk and move.”

From inside the kiln, the Charmander gave a questioning click in their direction. Sonia smiled at it before giving it one final spark of magic. Raihan immediately added his own, and with that much of a treat the Charmander let out a final chirp of appreciation before letting itself get burned away in the last of the fire. Sonia sat on the ground for a few more minutes while Raihan carefully packed away the five unbroken containers.

“I thought you’d get mad at me,” she admitted.

“I do not need to tell you that I am unhappy,” he said, packing the boxes on top of the Mudsdale. Then, after strapping the spear down, he bonked her on the top of her head with a knuckle. “You should be caring about yourself. Working hard is good, but getting hurt is not.”

Sonia accepted the light chastisement, but added, “You know, I actually did more this time than before. I think my magic and alchemy skills are stronger than they were before I put myself in stasis.”

“You are very strong. It is why I am afraid that you will not know when you are weak,” Raihan said, more seriously than usual, as he walked next to the Mudsdale and kept the items from falling over.

“Oh.” They walked back to the house in silence, with Sonia musing on his words, before she finally said, “Then… it’s a good thing I have you to protect me if I get to that point. Right?”

He looked down at her, expression complicated with something not quite as heavy as desire but more pointed than affection, before reaching over and taking her hand. “Yes. It is good.”

Sonia laced her fingers with his and silently agreed.

They dropped off the vials at the not-quite-done house and returned the Mudsdale before heading to the Inn for an indulgent dinner; as Melony promised, Hosea had made them a special dish of stuffed Cloyster meat with garlic herb gratin and grilled vegetables. The two of them actually took their dishes to the room in order to avoid any fights from the other patrons who were not blessed with such a meal, but Sonia didn’t mind and she suspected that Raihan didn’t either. She got to eat a great meal and gush about his fight earlier that day without people staring.

“Tomorrow we’ll head back to the house and chat with Kaj,” she said as they were getting into their separate beds. “Alon said it should be ready soon. I’m looking forward to being in my own house with my own stuff.”

“It will be farther to travel to Milo, and Guilds.”

“Which sucks, but so be it. I don’t have all the ingredients I need for potion making tomorrow, but there’s no point in buying them until I’m ready to get started with crafting. Maybe we can go assess our skills instead.”

“I thought you are aware of Skills.”

“I should be clearer. There’s something called appraisal paper. It’s used for evaluating your talents in different areas, like magical power, intelligence, and so forth.”

“Why is necessary?”

“It’s helpful to have an idea of our strengths and weaknesses. Unless you don’t want to.”

He shrugged. “It is what you want.”

Sonia admitted that she wanted a better gauge of Raihan’s abilities, if only because he was still very tight-lipped about himself and having an objective source might be the best way to get that information. And to be honest, given her change in magical capabilities, she was curious about her own stats.

“We should also buy a few small things for the house. Pots and pans, some plates and cutlery. Oh, and a teapot and cups! I don’t know what I’d do without the morning tea!”

Raihan chuckled as he laid back in bed. “Good. You will become more Pasaari.”

“Not a horrible thing, I think,” she smiled, blowing out the lamp. “Good night, Raihan. And congratulations again.”

“Thank you. _Shub rakhar, Sonia_.”

_Yes. A good night – and a wonderful day._

* * *

“Welcome back, Miss,” Kaj greeted them as they came up the walkway. In just a short time, he had already pulled down the tarp over the face, and Sonia was thrilled to see the brick façade looking so new and the windows almost sparkling with cleanliness. “How are you today?”

“Even better now that I’m here,” she grinned back. “It looks like you’re all done!”

“Everything but some aesthetics and furniture. Let me walk you ‘round the outside and get a proper look at what we’ve done,” he said, gesturing to the front. “We magically reinforced the glass so it’s shatterproof; don’t want any thieves coming into your house when you’re asleep or not home. It’s got fine metal threads running through it so when it’s hit, it doesn’t break.”

When Sonia almost pressed her nose against the glass, she could see thin black lines inside. At a distance of more than a meter, though, and it looked like completely normal glass. “Amazing.”

“The bricks are in good shape, but we did some tuckpointing with a little bit of Conkeldurr mortar to help preserve them, particularly in the front. Now let’s head inside and I’ll show you what we did here.”

Kaj opened the door and genteelly let both her and Raihan through first. When she stepped in, Sonia let out a gasp and covered her mouth.

The parlor and drawing rooms had been combined into one, with no evidence remaining that the removed wall had ever existed. Finished shelving units lined the walls, and there were two small wooden tables floating in the middle of the room as additional merchandising space. There had previously been a door leading back into the hallway, but Sonia couldn’t see any evidence that it was still present. With all the windows, it almost felt like it was raining sunlight into her home.

“It’s beautiful!” she said.

“So we made a little secret for you,” Kaj said with a half-hidden grin. Right where one of the shelving units stood, he gave it a gentle push. Lo and behold, a door opened into the hallway and her proper front room. Raihan breathed a soft exclamation while Sonia gasped – again. “This door can be locked from the backside. It’s quite stable, so you can keep some of your items on the shelf without worrying around them falling over if you use it.”

“This is amazing. Truly!” Sonia said. “So we can slip in and out of the store and into the house without going through the pantry.”

“Right you are. Didn’t want to seal up the doorway, so we crafted it. Looks just like the rest of the shelves so no one who hasn’t seen it can find it.”

She walked through the store, just getting her bearings, before stopping at the bay window – and the huge table with six stools sitting around it. It was a high-quality table, and would have looked appropriate in any proper restaurant, but Sonia didn’t think it should be wasted in her store.

“I don’t remember purchasing this.”

“It’s a gift, so to speak. I’ll explain in a bit,” Kaj said, teasing her curiosity. “Now, back here is your storage area.”

He shut the secret door and walked them back towards the former pantry, now completely gone. “We converted your dining room just as you asked. The pantry walls were easy to remove, so now you have this nice counter here for seeing your customers. This part of the top lifts up,” and he showed her how as the two of them followed him behind the counter. “You have some behind-the-counter shelving units, and we placed a sink here since there was some old plumbing present. This door back here leads into the storage area. Again, this also locks but requires a key from the storefront side.”

When he opened it up into the now-storage room, there were much rougher shelves lining all the walls, and the previous windows along the back had been removed (and likely replaced into the pantry area, if Sonia’s memory was serving). It looked very empty, and almost too large for just supplies, but Sonia imagined it would fill right up.

“We had to put a door here to separate the dining room from the kitchen area,” he said, pointing to the inner wall. “But otherwise not too complicated.”

“How did you get this done so quickly?” Sonia asked.

“Magic and a lot of hands. We got some of the out-of-work adventurers with skills in carpentry or wood or stone magic to assist, and it made the day go quickly.”

His words jarred her memory. “Oh, that’s right. You asked if you could hire other people. Well, I’m glad it worked.”

He led them through the door and into the kitchen. There was a new breakfast nook with a table and four chairs, and a simple chandelier from hanging right above it. The kitchen proper was mostly left alone, and so was the sitting room. It was still barren, which was fine since it wasn’t like she was hosting anyone at the moment.

Upstairs, her bedroom had the new dresser and nightstand, and a mattress thrown on top of the bedframe. Raihan’s bedroom had a new bedframe, mattress, and matching dresser and nightstand to hers. Opposite to the bed was a mounted wooden rack with thick wooden hooks placed against it. There were enough spaces for five weapons; Raihan had left the spear back at the Inn, citing its difficulty in carrying around, but he still wore the sword. Underneath it was an unfinished table that looked like it had taken a fair bit of punishment from previous owners.

But the thing that took him by greatest surprise was the table sitting at the foot of the bed. It was a small one, maybe half a meter on each side, and it looked like someone had carefully carved a circular divot about 3 centimeters wide into it, but left the middle of the table untouched. It had also been finished, making the cherry red wood glow with energy.

“Alon and I didn’t know what to do with this,” Kaj said, looking at Raihan. “We tried our best. If it’s not right, we don’t-”

“Is perfect,” Raihan said, kneeling down and carefully touching the table, his mouth half-open with wonder. “Yes, it is perfect. Thank you. Many thank you.”

“Oh. Uhm. Well, I’m glad to help,” Kaj said, sounding a little flustered. Then he cleared his throat. “Let me show you the final room.”

Sonia’s alchemy room, which she had seen the previous day, had unimpressive tables placed within it, too, and a single sturdy shelf that went around the room’s perimeter. She didn’t tend to make much of a mess, but it was nice to now have a place to put her equipment (which was still hiding in boxes).

“So what’s left to do?” Sonia asked as she and Kaj went back downstairs, leaving Raihan in his room.

“Like I said, it’s mostly aesthetics. A layer of paint through the house for touch-up, cleaning the floors and getting rid of all the dust and dirt. Things of that nature. We have almost all your furniture barring the living room.”

“Oh, speak of furniture,” and she took them back to the store. “What’s this table?”

“This? Well, an indulgence perhaps, on our part. I remembered when you brought us sweets, and you were talking about making more in the future. So Alon and I agreed that you needed a place for people to come and sit and relax on the off-chance you start selling more of those treats.”

Sonia had to laugh. “By the goddesses, you are not subtle, are you?”

“Maybe not a bit, Miss.”

“Are there _requests_ I should be taking?”

“Well, those cookies for one. Perhaps something to drink with it, for another.”

“Then I better see you coming by every week to buy something.”

“Without a doubt.”

The two of them shared a hearty laugh before Sonia pulled out her bag. “Here. These should cover the work and furniture.”

Kaj counted the coins, and nodded in satisfaction. “Certainly does. The men will be by this afternoon, and you can move right in on MoonDay.”

“Just be careful in the extra bedroom that nothing in boxes gets broken. There’s a lot of glassware for my work.”

“Me and Alon will take care of that room ourselves, then.”

“Thanks, Kaj. Will we see you again?”

“Since you’ve paid, just feel free to move back in at your leisure on MoonDay. I’ll leave the key to your house hidden in the Applin tree so no robbers will get any smart ideas.”

“You’ve been a great help. Thank you again for all your hard work.”

“My pleasure to work with you too, Miss. And save some of those treats for me.”

“Of course. Bye.”

She headed back upstairs and into Raihan’s room, where he was still sitting in front of the little table. “Hey. I’m ready to go if you are.”

“Yes,” and he took a deep breath before getting to his feet.

They walked towards the Guilds in silence, which Sonia was getting used to particularly when some subject was weighing heavily on his mind. But before they arrived, he asked, “Do we go to market today?”

“We can. I was planning to do the shopping on MoonDay to bring it right to the house, but if you have something you want, it’s no trouble.”

“No. It can wait.”

He was still quiet as they went to the Apprentices Guild, which dealt mostly with setting up young adults with different trades or masters to practice with. However, they also managed anything dealing with appraisals or evaluations, regardless of age. Two silvers paid, and both of them received a piece of paper with a magic circle inscribed on the center. Around that were seven different categories listed in a clockwise fashion with a one-line explanation for each: Magical Power, Strength, Endurance, Intelligence, Luck, Proficiency, and Agility. Finally, at the bottom was a small box that would list a person’s Skill along with a description. The last part was most useful in children or teens who had either not shown any talents or who were uncertain about it, but since the paper had it automatically infused there was nothing Sonia could do about it.

“Please place one or two drops of blood right in the center of the magic circle,” the Guildwoman explained. “After about five minutes, you will start to see your results appear on the paper. They will be ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, but if you don’t have much to offer in a category, you may only see the words change color from black to red. The results are yours to keep, though you are welcome to register with us in the instance that someone may be looking for a person with a skillset matching yours.”

Sonia deferred. “Thank you, but I’ll likely keep mine.”

Raihan said nothing, but held it close against his chest as the two of them stepped outside and sat on a bench away from the afternoon crowds. Using the sword, he carefully nicked the side of his thumb and did the same to Sonia. She let two drops fall before popping her thumb into her mouth, gently sucking on the wound as she pulled out her ointment. A small swipe on both of their fingers and the wounds healed up as the paper went to work. It slowly revealed their results as little circles that seemed to fill up with ink. Once one was filled up, the next one would start. If anything reached up to Level 5, it became a star.

“What does these mean?” he asked, pointing to the categories. “I do not know them all.”

“This is Magical Power, which is pretty self-explanatory. Strength – do you know this word?” she asked, and he nodded. “It generally means physical strength, while Endurance is kind of, like, how long you can exercise. How long your body can keep up with something.”

He nodded. “Ah. Strength is one-time, but Endurance is long time.”

“Kind of, yes. Intelligence is how smart you are. Luck is a little funny. It means how often things seem to happen in your favor.”

“Blessed by gods?”

“I guess you could look at it like that. People with good luck have good things happen to them just because. You could say the fact that I happened to be around when you were sold to Rose was good luck for you.”

“ _Sharmet_ _._ As by the gods.”

“Proficiency is how well-trained you are. It’s ability. Anyone can pick up a pebble and throw it, but it takes practice to be able to hit a Rookidee out of the sky with one. And Agility is how quick or fast you are. Like dodging or evading.”

“This is good to have. Pasaar does not have this paper. A _jagduwar_ – magic man – will tell you skills. Use special rocks that are clear.”

“Diamonds? Crystals?”

“Maybe crystals? They use light and he will read them. Special Skill. Not everyone can do.” He tilted his head. “Yours is finished.”

Sonia’s resulted first, and her heart leapt when she saw the Magical Power result. “Level 5!” she said excitedly, which was an increase from her previous Level 4. Then, to her shock, the final star began to show lines of energy radiating out of it. “Raihan, look! It’s off the scale! I’ve never seen this before!”

“It is not surprise,” he said, smiling down at her. “You are stronger than most magic people.”

It wasn’t much of a surprise that her Strength and Agility were Level 1, which made Raihan chuckle behind his hand, but her Endurance and Luck were Level 2. Her Intelligence was Level 3, and her Proficiency was Level 4. At the bottom, her Skill was unsurprisingly listed as _Alchemy_. “This is pretty good,” Sonia said with a grin. “Anything that’s Level 3 or above means you’re talented enough to get a job relating to that trait.”

“Ah. Then, this is good?” He showed her his paper, and her mouth nearly hit the ground.

His Magical Power, Proficiency, Strength, and Endurance were all Level 4. His Intelligence and Agility were Level 3, and Luck was his lowest trait at Level 2.

“Good gods!”

“I cannot get job in Luck, then?”

She smacked him on the shoulder and he laughed. “You ass! You knew these results would happen!”

“Not all, but many. _Jagduwar_ came to my home before.”

“Keep up all the insolence and you will find yourself guarding a different pharmacist.”

“Oh no, they do not need my help. But for you, I think I will need all my _Endurance_ to keep up.”

“I swear, if you keep on teasing me, I can’t promise there won’t be retribution.”

“Will you hit me again? I do not think I have _strength_ enough against your tiny fists.”

She whacked him a few more times against his side in playful irritation, and he casually blocked her with his arm. As she made one final blow towards his chest, he reached over and grabbed her wrist with one hand, then the other. He was able to hold both her wrists in one hand, and it was like being held in place by a tree. Before Sonia’s brain could catch up to this, he pulled her against him.

“Now you must be nice to me,” he purred into her ear, and a shiver went through her, “or I will be not nice to you.”

Suddenly, his free hand pulled on her ponytail, exposing the other side of her neck, and he bent down and gave it a little bite that wasn’t quite vicious but certainly showed off a darker intent. She barely had the wherewithal to keep from moaning in public before it turned into a deep kiss and she felt him start to suck.

“Don’t leave a mark!” she half-begged. He’d already left a few on her chest, thankfully hidden by her clothes, but the thought of someone seeing the hickeys was making her flush.

“I will be nice,” Raihan said into her skin, but kept up with his administrations. A nibble here, a swipe of his tongue there, and Sonia was literally clenching her teeth to keep from making a sound. It seemed like either an hour or a minute passed before he pulled his lips from her and released her wrists. “You see? I was very nice.”

_He was… something._ The lack of support left her almost draped across his lap, and she quickly sat back up in her seat before he could get any more ideas. Both of their appraisal papers had fallen to the ground with that distraction, and she bent down to pick them up as a way to put herself together.

Then she got a second look at Raihan’s paper. “That’s interesting,” she mused.

“What?”

“Your Skill got translated into Galarian. It’s called _Weather Master_. Not that it makes much difference from Pasaari.”

He shrugged. “Magic is not just for one country.”

That brought her back to another thought from before, and gave her a chance to calm down so she wouldn’t be seen with a blush that could light up the street. “You know, I tried to make fire using Pasaari, but it didn’t work. See? **_Qah_**!” and she held up her hand as if a spark would normally appear. Of course, nothing happened.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“When I do this, I am thinking **_qah_** ,” and fire began to dance off his fingertips like before. When he shook off the flames, he said, “But it also works if I think **fire**.”

To her amazement, the same flames sprung to life again. “So you can do it in both languages?”

“Yes. But only few words.”

_I think I know the problem._ “I have to understand the word. Like, it’s meaning.”

“That is how it works for me.”

“Okay. Let’s try that again,” and she focused on blending the two words together in meaning, giving them no conceptual difference and visualizing the effect being the same as both, until she finally said, “ ** _Qah_** ** _!_** ”

Something closer to **Flamethrower** rather than **Ember** appeared from her palm, and Sonia yipped before pulling her hand back and shaking off the magic. More from surprise than anything else, Raihan let out a hearty laugh.

“Maybe you _are_ Fire Magician!” he said, still grinning at her.

“Maybe I shouldn’t do that again with the hand that has a fire ring on it,” she muttered, more chastising herself than anything. _Good thing there was no one around to see that, or get hurt._

Raihan took the papers and folded them up before placing them inside a pocket. “What do we do now?”

“Let’s head back to the Inn for studying. Maybe you can teach me a little more Pasaari before I accidentally set my hair on fire.”

He smirked at her. “Do not worry. I will protect your hair, too.”

“So gracious, as always.” She started walking back towards the Inn when Raihan gently grabbed her by the shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“You do not go without me,” and he placed her hand on his fist like before, looking from her eyes to her hand. “This is how we walk together. Understand?”

He hadn’t been that picky this morning except to take her hand without a comment. However, since he seemed to think she didn’t actually match him in Intelligence, he apparently felt the need to explicitly state the expectations. Sonia met his look, then broke into a smile.

“I understand. You’re my guard, and I’m in your care.”

He laid his other hand on top, wrapping her skin in warmth. “Yes, you are,” and he kissed her hand, and they walked together like it had always been this way and always would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (02/08/21): Raihan suffers under the burden of actually being as talented as he thinks he is. Must be nice.
> 
> This chapter, and the next, are rather calm slice-of-life chapters. Actually giving Sonia and Raihan a home is way harder than it looks, and I wanted to portray the amount of work that she puts into not just her alchemy, but everything else, too.
> 
> I've gotten this question more than once, and I'm going to formally answer it: Is Pasaari a real language (with the off-shoot question, is Pasaar based on a real place)? Short answer - no.
> 
> The longer, more complicated answer is that neither are real, but they have some basis in reality. When I first heard Raihan's name, it actually spawned the headcanon that he's either of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent; this headcanon carries through all my stories. Pasaari is technically based on three different languages that are all within the same proto-Eurasian family tree with some variations in spelling and grammar as I see fit to make it different from a Real Language. I also have my own rules for verb tenses, gender delineation, plural form, etc. It's actually been a shit-ton of work, none of which I was really prepared for, and as a mostly monolingual English speaker this has been very daunting. I'm not sure what it says about my skill in crafting a new language given how many people were asking about it, but I do enjoy the attention and chance to wax poetic on the subject. [Also, when Verzi pops up in 'A Choice', this answer applies there. I am not making up two different languages; I just named them two different things because AU vs 'modern times'.]
> 
> Thanks for reading! Would always love to hear from you. ❤


	18. Spice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 18: “You said this isn’t you. Well, you made me a promise to be at my side. If I’m going to have someone I can trust above everyone else, someone who wants to share more than a kiss, then I need to know you’re willing to talk to me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: Lavanya, by E.S. Posthumus. Can be played through most of this chapter
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh for beta-reading. I realize I sound like a broken record, but I always appreciate the help.

The next day, Sonia had decided that going out shopping for a few things prior to moving in shouldn’t be too problematic, provided they only bought a few necessities. That intention lasted a whole twenty seconds of stepping into the closed marketplace. It was a set of storefronts where a large roof extended across the street spanning three blocks in length, so that anyone walking inside could stay dry and semi-protected from the weather. Most of the things here were non-perishables, such as tableware or clothing, and Sonia thought it best to get a sense of what was available and what was appropriately priced.

“Oh my gods, look at that cute tea set!” she gushed as she walked through the store. “Oh, I like that one too! Wow, they’re all beautiful and amazing.”

“You have wonderful taste, miss,” the shopkeeper said with pride. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Well, my companion and I like tea in the morning,” and she gestured to Raihan.

The shopkeeper looked him up and down before saying, “Pasaari?”

He nodded, as if it wasn’t obvious.

“I might have something for you,” and he stepped in the back. Sonia kept looking around the shop, her eyes falling on some of the porcelain wares though she was fascinated by the Kantonian teapot in glazed blue. It was quite expensive but beautiful, nonetheless.

The man returned with a box, quickly and efficiently opening it. “Perhaps this will be to your liking.”

He pulled out a glass that would only hold half a normal cup of tea. It was shaped like a small vase, slightly wider on the top and bottom with a subtle hourglass curve in the center. There were three sets of concentric gold rings around the bottom, middle, and top, and a matching saucer with a similar set of rings around its edges and towards the center. Sonia had never seen a teacup like that before, and it looked beautifully delicate.

“ _Khedwan_!” Raihan said from behind, his voice colored with both surprise and excitement.

“This is a tea set directly from Pasaar. I usually get three or four different sets a month, and they sell very well. The craftmanship there is quite stunning, I must say.”

“Yes, it is,” she said, taking the cup and holding it in her hand. She looked at it in the sunlight, letting the gold rings glitter as she turned it this way and that. “How much?”

“Oh, about eight silvers for this set.”

“ _Bahun hedran_!” Raihan snarled, and Sonia looked at him with barely concealed shock. “ _Naa, Sonia_! _Bahun hedran_!”

 _This would work better if I knew what he was saying._ “I need a teapot, too.”

“Just a moment.”

When he stepped in the back, Raihan grabbed her bicep. “Sonia, do not! It is too much money!” he hissed in her ear.

“It’s fine. We need a set, and this one is right from Pasaar.”

“It does not matter! It should cost no more than twenty-five coppers!”

“But you didn’t have to sail or travel over the seas to buy a set before,” she said with careful patience. “So they have to increase the cost. And again, it’s fine. I want to buy it.”

“Sonia, do not spend your money bad!”

She held the glass up so he could look at it, and she watched a flash of memory cross his face. “It’s worth my money to give you a piece of your home.”

The shopkeeper had fabulous timing, and he brought out a two-piece teapot. This one was quite a contrast, made of gleaming silver verses polished glass or the porcelain of Galarian pots. Raihan released Sonia’s arm as she turned to talk. “How does that work?”

“You put your leaves in this top part, and boil water in this bigger bottom section. Afterwards, you pour the boiling water into the top for seeping, but the hot water remaining beneath keeps the temperature stable,” he explained.

“How much for this?”

“The pot should be seventeen silvers.” Sonia almost _felt_ Raihan’s growl behind her back, but he didn’t say anything further. The shopkeeper looked back and forth between the double pot and the glassware. “But I could consider a deal if you purchased both.”

“What’s the deal?”

“Twenty silvers.”

She could barely hear Raihan muttering ‘ _naa_ ’ under his breath, trying to get her to change her mind, but Sonia felt that was not an unreasonable offer. “Okay. I’ll take it. Please wrap them up well.”

“Certainly, miss.” He was actually quite diligent, placing the glass and saucer back inside the box only after thoroughly wrapping them in paper, and he packed the teapot into its proper box with quick fingers. Sonia handed over the silvers, deciding that this would have to be her most expensive purchase of the day, and the two of them left the shop with their goods in hand.

Raihan continued to sulk through the rest of the morning. Perhaps it was uncharitable of Sonia to think that, but he completely shut down his voice and wouldn’t say more than a word or two when she’d ask a question. He gave no opinion when she asked about dishes or cutlery; to be fair, she didn’t actually expect him to care that much, but even when he didn’t care about a subject he would normally just shrug and straight-up say that it was up to her. Now, he wouldn’t even grace her with anything in Galarian.

 _Fine,_ she thought to herself. _Then I’ll just take advantage of the quiet._

She bought plates with matching cups and bowls in mint green, decorated with a raised bead motif that looked like vines twirling along the edges and sides, from the nearby ceramics shop. She bought some flatware from the silversmith, two pots and two pans from the blacksmith, and cheap blankets from the weaver. By the time she’d finished shopping, Raihan was well loaded up with the boxes of goods and her purse was getting dangerously empty.

She, very pointedly, refused to give him the tea set to carry.

They walked in icy silence back to the house. When they got there, she brought them around to back of the house and she saw the kitchen door was open, as were the windows.

“Hello?” and the smell of paint hit her nostrils, and she wrinkled her nose for a second before forcing herself to ignore it. _Ah, they’re aerating the house while painting._

“Good afternoon, miss,” one of the workers said, giving her a small tip of his head, before going back to carefully painting the wall of the breakfast nook. It was a soft ivory color, and Sonia imagined that it would almost glow with warmth in the morning.

“Good afternoon. We’re just here to drop some things off, so please don’t mind us,” she said. To keep them out of the workers’ way, she opened some of the cabinets and popped the new kitchen wares inside while making Raihan run the bedding into the bedrooms. With that done, she waved goodbye and left just as quickly as she came.

Raihan was still following her, his mouth sealed shut but keeping right up with her steps as if determined to do his job no matter how much he disliked her right now.

 _Well, he doesn’t have to talk, then. He can be forced to listen to my drivel._ “So the first thing we’ll do tomorrow is pack up everything left at the Inn. I’ll have you bring that over to the house while I go get my weekly supplies from Milo. I hope he has some additional berries because I’ll need them for making potions – oh, I didn’t mention that I’m planning on making a rolling order set of Items for the Suppression Forces. I’m burning through money right now so it’ll be nice to have a steady income, but I’m more concerned with both the Suppression Forces and the Corps because they’re the ones actually using my potions.”

She paused to catch her breath and her thoughts. “Once I get back from Milo’s shop, we’ll start cleaning up the store and setting things up. I want to open it on WindsDay; really I’d have preferred SeasDay but I don’t think we’ll make it in time. But once I have some extra money, we’ll go buy some better blankets and sheets. Good thing I’m not making you share mine right now given how much I’ve upset you, right?”

His only response was a slight clenching of his jaw.

Sonia knew better than to push too hard; he spent the majority of the past four years keeping silent, and he would certainly outlast her in this game of endurance. But there was something she needed to check on, and once they were back in their room at the Inn, she sat down on her bed and looked at him.

“So how are the nightmares?”

The abrupt change in topic caught him off-guard, coupled with the sensitivity of the subject, but he said nothing. He just leaned back against the wall, arms crossed and defensive. She hadn’t asked for a few days, trying not to make him confront the issue and set the terrors off again. Still, she didn’t want him to think she forgot it either, because she most _definitely_ hadn’t.

“You don’t have to answer me,” she continued, “because I know it’s still a problem. I heard you wake up last night, and I watched you practicing in the yard outside. You were gone for almost an hour, and you were still up before me this morning.”

“I am sorry for waking you,” he said immediately.

“I don’t care about that.” A deep breath to try and tie things together. “The reason I’m asking now is because you do this. You go silent when you’re mad at me, or when something happens to you that you don’t like. And I know it’s how you dealt with things before, but I’d like to think we’re – _I’m_ – not the same as when it happened before.”

She stood up and walked over to him, and he uncrossed his arms and seemed to brace them against the wall as if he were preparing to bolt. But all she did was rest a finger on his jacket just over the brand, keeping an arm’s span between them as she looked up into him.

“You said _this_ isn’t you. Well, _you_ made me a promise to be at my side. If I’m going to have someone I can trust above everyone else, someone who wants to share more than a kiss, then I need to know you’re willing to talk to me. And our words may not match up because my Pasaari is elementary at best and you’re still working on Galarian nuances, but we have to try.” She paused, then added, “I want to try.”

He reached over and took her hand, then gently pulled it to his face. She had to step closer, and even go on tiptoes, but his cheek rested in her palm and she marveled at how smooth his skin felt. _So odd that that’s what I’m thinking about._

“I… I was not happy that you did not listen,” he finally said. “I do not like it. It feels… bad.” He huffed out a noise. “My words are not good for this.”

“It’s all right. Just say what you can.”

“I am frustrated because I had think I was not wanting anymore. That too much time is gone. But I am still wanting, and it is something that hurts because I am fearful of wanting.” He paused, trying to regain the direction of his words. “My not happy is a little because I have anger at myself for wanting.”

“You don’t have to be angry that you want a piece of your home.”

“Not at a cost that isn’t equal. It does not…,” and he gestured with his open hands, as if the fingers couldn’t interlock because they didn’t match, before they fell down. “I only wish you had listen to me. We wanted to buy a tea set, and I was happy to see a Pasaari set in Galar… but not so much that I would lose your money badly.”

There wasn’t a good way to finish this argument, since it wasn’t like she could convince him that it was safe to have his own desires at this point in time, so she nodded. “All right. How about this – the next time I want to buy something from Pasaar, you can tell me if you think it’s worth it.”

He chewed over that idea for a moment before nodding. "But I still do not like your buying."

"You don't have to like everything I do. You just have to be able to talk to me like a grown-up and not carry on the silent treatment like a child."

"I.... will try." Raihan let out a deep, chesty sigh before dropping his forehead on the top of her head. “But sometimes you are very frustrating.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

He paused for a moment, and said, “I could tell you a secret.”

Ah. Extending a metaphorical olive branch. Sonia would happily take it. “Okay.”

“I miss Pasaari food.”

Now she perked up. “Oh? Like what?”

“My favorite to eat is _Bhefameh wa anaar, wa shuvd birnj_ ,” and the Pasaari was too complicated to parse out. “I do not know what in Galar it is. But that – what I said – is my food I like best.”

“Well, maybe we can figure it out together. And if we can, then maybe we can cook together.”

“I am not good with cook. Can make simple food but nothing nice,” he said, looking a little embarrassed.

“Oh? You didn’t learn from your mother or father?”

A pregnant pause before he said, “No. I did not.”

“Would you like to learn? I mean, we’d have to learn together, right? I don’t know how to make Pasaari food, but at least it’s worth the effort.”

He leaned down to nuzzle against her, his nose barely brushing her ear as he said, “That would be good, I think.”

“Good. Now, I know you don’t like this, but I’m going to bring it up again – how are your nightmares?”

“Not worse. Many nights, but not all. Last night was bad.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

“No. Not now.”

“Okay.” She hugged him a little tighter. “I could still try and make a sleeping medicine to see if you can get a full night’s rest.”

“Maybe.”

He hugged her back, and at this angle she could easily drop a kiss onto his neck. So she did. It was a little one, just lips to skin with no deeper intention, but she could feel him hum in the back of his throat, and he felt warm and she really wanted to get back into his good graces so maybe this was cheating a little but she dropped a few more down while brushing his hairline with the tip of her nose.

It must have worked, at least a little, because he was dotting his own kisses on her neck, and his hands were slowly sliding up and down her back, and when they reached her shoulder blades, he drew his palms toward the center and along the side of her breasts.

Her hands came down on his, holding them in place. “You like testing boundaries, don’t you?”

“It maybe or maybe not have gotten me in trouble, in Galar and Pasaar,” he admitted, now using his thumbs to stroke the upper curves. He was _so close_ that Sonia barely kept from gasping aloud and leaning into his touch. Instead, she backed up.

“Don’t push your luck.”

“You are not fun.”

“And you can wait for that kind of fun.”

“If my mistress insists,” and now when he said that word it was filled with all kinds of implications that could make Sonia’s toes curl, and if the look in his eyes was anything to go by, he was well aware of the effect it was having on her.

“I hope you can give as good as you tease,” she muttered under her breath as they headed towards the outside market, and Raihan let out a laugh that was more triumphant than anything she’d heard before.

* * *

The rest of SunDay was spent faffing around the open-air market, where most of the food stalls and cooking businesses resided. They ate dinner out, with Sonia treating Raihan to his first experience with Awjoskian food. She’d had it previously, as Wedgehurst and the southern Galarian cities saw more Awjosk folk than anything north of the Wild Area, but it was new to him. They ate Wooloo meatballs in a vegetable stew, spicy Wishiwashi dumplings with potatoes and peppers, and a double-layered vanillin cake with powdered sugar and wacan berry sauce on top. Raihan didn’t seem to feel much about the meal either way, though Sonia herself had always been fond of the meatballs, but his ambivalence didn’t stop him from cleaning his plate.

Once finished, Sonia had the idea to start looking in shops for anything of Pasaari source. It hadn’t really occurred to her that beyond slaves, Galar might be interested in other goods that Pasaar could produce. And now that she was thinking about it, she tried to keep an eye out for other Pasaari – of which there were few and far between. There was a man working in one of the markets selling berries, and another doing some grocery shopping with a Galarian woman, but that was it. Out of the scores of people enjoying the comfortable Sixine weather, only three were Pasaari.

_Disappointing, but not surprising. That seems to be the running theme in my life._

She shook off the darkening mood and pepped herself up as they walked on. She had no idea what she was looking for, but she decided to try her luck at one of the spice shops. There were plates laid out with impressive pyramids of colorful, fragrant spices on top. Sonia recognized most of them, though there were a few that she didn’t know.

“Can I help you, miss?” the man behind the store frame asked.

“Actually, I would like to buy some Pasaari spices. Do you sell any?”

“Me? No, it’s too expensive for me to pay for the shipping. If you go down to Lady Aletta’s shop – right down there, on this side of the street – she sells some. But she runs out quick, and it’s getting late in the day.”

“Thank you!” and she walked quickly down the road, following the man’s directions, with Raihan in hopeful tow. It became quite easy to see which storefront he was talking about, because there was a small line of women standing there waiting to be cared for.

“Do you think you’d recognize any of the spices if you saw them?” she whispered to Raihan.

“Perhaps. Certain smells, yes. Not all, I think.”

Sonia counted the coins remaining in her bag. She couldn’t afford to go crazy with this, but she wanted to know what they offered. When it was her turn, a woman with a bright smile turned to her. “Hi, how can I help you?”

The question flustered Sonia for a moment, not expecting this level of energy, but she said, “Uhm, my friend is from Pasaar, and I wanted to buy some spices for cooking. But I don’t have much money so I was wondering if you could help me pick just a few things.”

The woman looked thoughtful for a moment, eyes jumping between her and Raihan, before saying, “I don’t suppose you have a spice tin, do you?”

“No.”

“Then give me just a moment,” and she hurried into the back. Sonia felt a little guilty for stealing so much time, but another woman was helping other customers, and Sonia was interested in what might be brought out. Raihan himself was leaning forward, carefully studying the different spices that were presented in beautiful silver bowls that gleamed in the light, and she caught a smile on his face as he looked at a few bowls in particular.

The woman came fluttering back out, holding a round silver container a bit longer than a handspan in diameter. She opened it up, and Sonia was delightfully surprised to see that there were seven smaller tins inside the larger one, and each had a different spice inside. There was even a tiny spoon to go with it. “This is called a _ke’uta daaba_ in Pasaari. It’s a spice container and has the most basic flavors inside. There’s cardamom, cloves, _kamuun_ , _daag daaba_ , _tam’ret_ , mustard, and chili powder in the center,” she explained, pointing to each of the little containers.

“Wow, that’s so pretty,” Sonia breathed. “How much?”

“So this was my sample set,” the woman said. “I’d show people how to use it, like which spices went with which food, but I just got a new shipment of _ke’uta daaba_ two days ago with a new one for myself. It’s a little beaten around – you can see a dent here and how worn the silver has become – but I’d be happy to see it go to someone – preferably a Pasaari – who might appreciate it. Would four silvers seem reasonable? The canisters aren’t filled up, but you could always come back for more.”

She turned back and looked at Raihan, deciding to leave the option up to him, and was happy to see him nodding fervently. He must not have been put off by the price, which was a bit surprising but perhaps her talk got through to him. “Then yes, I’ll take it.”

“Wonderful!”

Sonia handed her the silvers, and she noticed that the woman had stains on her fingers; yellow and orange and a hint of brown under her nails and on the tips. When she took the tin, it felt cool and smooth, and she could see a simple design of a six-petaled flower on the lid. The woman explained what each spice was primarily used for, which Sonia was never going to remember all of it, but she did grab onto the comment about trying to taste-test before doing too much cooking. It was invigorating to have this new addition, and she was looking forward to experimenting with Raihan.

Now she was down to her last gold and a double handful of silvers. “I think I’ve spent enough money for today. Let’s go back to the Inn.”

“May I carry?”

“Of course.”

She handed the tin over to him, and he took it with an odd sort of respect; one hand on the top, one of the bottom, and his handspan was so large he was practically palming the container. A block later, he said, “My family did not cook lots. We had cookers for us.”

“Chefs, you mean?

“Yes.”

 _He probably comes from money. Not that it helped prevent what happened, I suppose._ “That must have been nice, not worrying about food. Making it, at least,” she amended. “I never went hungry with Gran, but it was always work to keep both of us fed. She got slower as she got older, so I was always running around getting ingredients and cooking meals. And when it was just me, it was, well, just me.”

“When I was… in my work, I sometimes did travel. I had _ke’uta daaba_ like this, but small.”

“So you obviously recognize all the spices.”

“Yes. But for cooking, I am not very good. I am sort of good.”

Sonia grinned. “Great. That makes two of us. What could go wrong?”

She could see the heroic effort he made to keep from rolling his eyes at her; she appreciated it. They spent the rest of the night at the Inn, talking about food and drinks and sweets until Sonia fell asleep to the thought of cooking in her new kitchen and watching the look on Raihan’s face as she gave him a taste of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (02/15/21): Disagreements are, indeed, part and parcel of any relationship. Good communication is key! Also, Sonia's lack of restraint when going shopping may or may not be based on reality (*coughcough*).
> 
> Again, I realize this is a nice slow chapter, but I wanted to give some spotlight time to Pasaari items. What Raihan can't say is that having the tangibles from his homeland is both a balm and a nettle; he is glad to have them even though their presence reminds him of what he's been forced to lose. And I wanted to quickly address his ongoing PTSD; I didn't want it to seem like Sonia was totally ignoring his issues, but there's a lot of stuff going on in their lives and she can't fix every problem in his life.
> 
> The next chapter is very important to read, so please come back next week! For now, thanks to everyone for reading! You guys are awesome! 💜


	19. Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU based around a combination of Pokemon Sword/Shield and 'The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life'
> 
> Sonia used to be an alchemist in Wedgehurst, getting by on her Item-crafting skills, when the Invasion happened. Now, she finds herself in a time that she doesn't belong to with everything she's known left behind, and is now the last alchemist in the Southern Galar region. It was lucky that she came across the Black Charizard Freight Corps when she did, bringing her to safety as she thinks of a way to take care of herself. But when she sees a slave about to be killed she refuses to stand still and let it happen, and two lives are thrown together in a way that neither could have predicted.
> 
> Chapter 19: "Thanks for taking care of the rest of the house. You’re an angel.”
> 
> He bent down and touched her forehead with his. “Not angel. I am a dragon who has caring for his home.”
> 
> The words were warmth in her skin, in her chest, and she kissed him for a few moments before saying, “Then, welcome home, Raihan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical Accompaniment: Soliloquy by Doug Hammer. The song starts as Raihan knocks on Sonia’s door in the middle of the chapter. At 2:56, he looks down at his hands. At 3:53, he says, “But sometimes… ruvan are their anger.” The rest of the song trails off with the rest of the chapter. I HIGHLY advise looking for this online and listening to it, as the chapter was essentially written around the song.
> 
> Thanks to DezyPhresh for running through this chapter with me. I'm super happy to say that I made her cry.

“Sonia?”

It took a good ten seconds for her to fully awaken, and another five to realize that Raihan was kneeling on the floor by her bed, that he was the one who woke her up with his hand against her shoulder.

“Raihan? What’s wrong?” and she immediately slid down to the floor next to him, and was shocked to feel him shivering. _Oh gods, it’s another attack._

“ _Khem’e kinaa_ ,” he said thickly. “ _Ruvan_.”

“I’m right here,” Sonia said, bringing her voice down to a soothing whisper she occasionally used to calm an angry customer. “You’re in this room with just the two of us. Do you want me to make some light?”

“ _Es_.”

She quickly created a tiny flare over their heads, and it mildly freaked her out to see how tight and fearful Raihan’s face looked even in the light. And the mostly dried tear tracks along his cheeks _oh hells this is bad_. “Is that better?”

“ _Es_.”

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

He shook his head.

“Do you want… do you want to hold my hand?”

Again, he shook his head. But he was also clutching some of her bedsheets in his fist, and Sonia didn’t think he would have bothered her if he just wanted her to sit next to him. He’d have just gone outside like he’d been doing if that was the case.

She changed the energy from a question to a statement. “If you need me to sleep with you, I can do that. Either in my bed or yours.”

“ _Kaash_ ,” and he slowly stood up before gesturing for her to lay down first. She figured he didn’t want to be trapped, so she laid on her side facing the wall before he slid under the covers and put an arm around her waist and the other beneath her pillow. He was still shivering, and she could feel him bury his nose right at the line of her neck and hair. Not that there was much space for him to go anywhere else; the bed was really only meant for one person, and Raihan was almost a body-and-a-half on his own, but they made do.

“Deep breaths, Raihan,” she said, still using that soothing tone and slowly killing the light above them. “In for four… out for six. In for four… out for six.”

With her presenting the example for him, she felt his breathing start to change from hiccupping to smooth. After a good five minutes of breathing with him, her voice tapering off, she could feel that he was breathing more evenly now.

“Raihan?” she whispered, and he gave no response. “You’ve been scared to fall asleep, haven’t you?”

No answer again, but this time she got a slight tightening on her stomach. “I would too if I could see everything you saw, lived through everything you did. But it’s not fair that the people who did this to you sleep fine at night, and you’re the one who has to pay.”

“It is not fair,” and he sounded _so broken_ that it hurt to breathe.

“So when we’ve got our own house and you have your room, where it’s _safe_ and _yours_ and even I can’t go in unless you let me, I’m going to give you a sleeping potion so you can sleep without fear of the nightmares. And when you’re rested and ready, we’ll talk about them.”

“No talk.”

And she didn’t want to push any further because dead o’clock in the morning was _not_ the time to dig too deep, so she just said, “Do you want to sleep?”

“No.”

“Do you want me to do anything?”

“No.”

“Okay….”

And she just rested there, stroking the back of his hand with her fingertips and tracing patterns of TMs like she was turning him into magic.

“ _Ma’an pra’yaar jo_.”

“Hm?”

He repeated the phrase, then rattled off more and more Pasaari. Honestly, he could have been talking about the nightmare, the weather, or anything in-between because his speech was so fast and he was using unfamiliar words and what was probably slang terms or contractions or what have you. But the words spilled from him, covering the back of her neck in hasty breathlessness, and they laid together as he let himself tell her what he felt, and even though she couldn’t understand the words she very much understood the trust.

And when he was done, and he slowed down to sleepy mumbles, Sonia whispered back, “I’m here for you. I promise.”

There was no response, and she was glad for it.

* * *

“So you two are really leaving, huh?” Melony said with a slightly mournful look. “I’ll miss you.”

“Come on over to the shop when you’re free; we’re down in the southeast section on Chalcedony Street. I’ll be open on WindsDay,” Sonia said, hefting her pack higher onto her shoulders. “I’d be great to have someone familiar around.”

“I won’t be able to visit until after lunch, but it sounds wonderful. Congratulations, you two, and good luck.”

“Thanks, Melony. And give our thanks to Hosea and Miranda, too.”

“I will. Goodbye!”

It felt different being the one to say goodbye rather the one being left behind, though Sonia found she didn’t care for it much more this way. Still, she had to get going because she needed all the possible time today for crafting.

The house was about a mile south of the Inn, which was located due east of the city’s center (which was, unsurprisingly, near the Power Spot). She’d already sent Raihan home with most of the last-minute stuff they’d had at the Inn, like clothes and the bathing supplies, while she headed over to Milo’s shop. Like before, he was waiting with a hefty box of herbs, powders, and other supplies.

He grinned at her, and Sonia suspected his good nature was a part of what made his shop so successful. _Not quite Laurel’s smile, but her energy is still here._ “Good morning, Miss Sonia.”

“Good morning, Milo. Doing well today?”

“As always. Fair weather we’ve been having makes it easy to get berries and the like.”

“Oh, looks like you got everything! Can I make some additions?”

“Certainly.”

“Got any leppa berries, lum berries, or kee berries?”

“I got lum and kee. How many do you need?”

“A dozen of each.”

He went to the back and brought two bags of each fruit before putting them in the box. “I also picked up something I thought you might like,” he said, ducking behind the counter before placing something onto the countertop.

It was a bag of processed energy roots. While he had been able to get her a small amount when she made Raihan’s Full Restore, he hadn’t had any since that time. Sonia’s eyes almost jumped out of her head when she saw the rather impressive sack.

“Wow! Where did you get this?”

“Got lucky. Went hunting near the Ruins on the west side of the Wild Area, and I saw a cluster of roots growing like crazy.”

Now her heart fell. “I can’t afford all of that. I only have a few silvers left.”

“’Sall right. What do you have?”

“One gold and three silvers.”

“I can break your gold into silvers if you care for it. Give you a small bit of the root plus the box, round it up to 25 silvers. Sound fair?”

“Yes, that’d be great!”

Apparently, Milo tended to serve some of the foreign alchemists that traveled through Motostoke, so he wasn’t concerned about the energy root degrading or getting wasted. Sonia just wished she could have afforded more than she did. Still, it was enough to make the Max Potions she had planned.

Sonia traded the coins and asked, “Do you know where I can harvest leppa berries?”

“Sure. Go straight into the Wild Area between the East and West Lakes. There are a number of trees there, and I’m sure at least one is a leppa.”

She hoisted the box up. “Thanks again, Milo. Be sure to stop by the shop on WindsDay. I’ll have a little something for your hands.”

“Looking forward to it, Miss Sonia. Take care.”

The box was a little clunky but not super heavy. Sonia took her time heading back, and Raihan was waiting outside for her. He wasn’t quite jumpy with nerves, but she could see the excitement lightly shining in his eyes.

“Your house, it looks very good,” he immediately said while divesting her of the box. “Come to see!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she laughed as her heart started to pick up the pace. _My first house. Not Gran’s house._ My _house._

The storefront was about the same as before, though someone had kindly washed and waxed the wooden floor, so it shown like old gold in the sunlight. The walls were dusted and cleaned, and Raihan had thought ahead of time to bring down the cleansing and health supplies so that she could set them up on the shelving units. Through the pantry, the storeroom was unfinished but clean, and the key to locking the door was on the kitchen side. The kitchen nearly glowed with ivory warmth, and it turned out the men had washed the floors in the entire house because the wood was spotless everywhere she walked. There were a set of couches in the front room that hadn’t been there previously; the pattern was not really to Sonia’s liking, but they were fluffy and in great condition and she decided that she didn’t care.

Upstairs, all the rooms had a layer of paint in each room. Sonia’s was pale yellow, Raihan’s was light silver-blue, and the alchemy lab was the color of old pine needles. The hallway was the same ivory as the downstairs, and everything looked so new and right that Sonia found herself back in her room, the scent of the paint still lingering in the air, crying and smiling in equal measure.

_My house. My home. A place I’ve wanted since I was old enough to want to leave Wedgehurst,_ she thought as she let the tears fall without a sound. It felt so liberating that the emotion just flowed from her, and she was grateful that Raihan seemed to understand her need for privacy because she heard his footsteps passing outside the closed door, taking things up and downstairs as needed.

But she regained her bearings quickly enough and, after wiping her face and opening the windows upstairs to air out the paint scent, she headed into the store.

“Looks like you got almost everything down here,” she said, and was pleased that her voice was so even.

“Yes. I did not know where you wanted all to go,” Raihan said, standing in the middle as he gazed around. “It did not look big until I thought about filling up shelves.”

“Would you believe this is about the same size as my previous store? L-shaped verses rectangular, but the square meters were pretty comparable,” Sonia said, pulling out a lotion jar. She slowly spun it between her fingers, wondering where to start when it was all becoming so overwhelming.

_Gotta start somewhere or we’ll be here forever,_ she thought before glancing down. _So what do I want people to buy first when they come in?_

The most expensive items would be the vitamins, no question, and the adventurers wandering in would want to be able to grab and go without dawdling over the lotions and other things. So she put the lotion back down, picked up the box with vitamins, and headed towards the shelf right in front of the door.

“Raihan, could you help me line these up? Zinc here, Calcium here, and Iron on this shelf,” she explained, taking out a few tiny bottles and showing him where everything should go.

He immediately reached in and pulled out one of the bottles with the love pills. “And this?”

She sighed. “Of course you’d go looking for that.”

“Of course.”

“Leave them as the last things in this box.”

She thought she’d have to fight with him a bit, but Raihan just shrugged and went to work. On the shelf that camouflaged the hidden door, she started setting up the scrubs, soaps, and lotions. The ointments would go around the corner and closer to the counter, and form the start of the more pharmaceutical component of her store.

Once she had a handful of things on the shelf as a way of signaling to Raihan what needed to get put away, she tapped him on the shoulder. “Would you be able to do all this while I start making some medicines upstairs?”

“Yes. I will say if there is something not good.”

“Thank you,” and she couldn’t quite get a kiss on his cheek because he was so damn tall, but she got it on the back of his neck and delighted in the hum he made. “I’ll be upstairs.”

Raihan had wisely left anything vaguely relating to alchemy in the upstairs room, and she was grateful that he hadn’t even unpacked them. Not that she expected he’d break anything, but she was going to be very particular about where everything went that she didn’t want him to feel bad for moving things around. Laurel’s alchemy set and the large glass containers went onto one table, berries and additional ingredients onto the other, and random boxes with empty vials stayed on the floor. The extra jars that Raihan purchased were placed on the shelf above her head, and ready to be put to good use.

_Well, then, let’s make some medicine!_

Which… wasn’t quite what happened, despite her intentions. Things had to be organized first, or nothing could get done. For one, she had to figure out what to make before wasting her base ingredients. There were some medications that tended to fly off the shelves, but Sonia didn’t have a good sense of what the Motostoke population might be interested in beyond those vague ideas. So she ultimately decided to put together a ton of base ingredients, such as powdered algae and pure water, and bring them into the storage room downstairs. Anything that could be used for potion making would stay upstairs, though there tended to be some overlap with things like sitrus berries and the energy root, and Sonia started carving out her workstation.

She must have been bustling in the storage area for longer than expected because she heard Raihan knock on the door frame. “I have done putting vitamins away.”

“Great! Can you take care of the soaps and everything else? I started putting them up.”

“It is done, also.”

“Oh wow! Thanks for jumping on that. So, uh, what time is it?”

“Past lunch.”

_Am I hungry? I don’t think so, but I’ll bet Raihan is._ “Okay, guess we should eat before one of us collapses.”

“That would be a good idea.”

She sent Raihan out to buy some food and bring it back; they just didn’t have any culinary ingredients, and Sonia didn’t want to waste her high-quality berries on food. After he came back, they ate a quick meal before getting back to work.

Making medicines required less magical energy than making Items, without question, but it still took something out of her regardless. She decided to go with making some very simple medications, given the combination of ingredients, unfamiliarity, and time restraints.

_Okay, so let’s go with the tried-and-true basics. Safest bet will be oral analgesics and anti-pyretics,_ she thought to herself. _I’ll make some salacin, propifen, and anaminofen. After that, I’ll get a feel for what the people want. No point in making tons of medicines if they’ll just go to waste._

Satisfied with that answer, she divided up her ingredients into three piles before running back upstairs and bringing down a bunch of the quarter-jars. _I’ll need more of these, maybe something even cheaper since this holds just pills. Maybe some nice paper would do the trick for small requests._

And before she really could catch up with herself, Sonia had begun the process of setting up a handful of transmutation vessels downstairs while also putting Laurel’s kit to work upstairs making the Repels and Super Repels. The boxes and anti-degradation spells were raring to go, and once she had all the ingredients made she was able to mix a larger amount in the alchemy set and let it sit while she went downstairs and worked on the salacin.

_Okay, first dehydrate the salac berries and extract the salacilic acid from the glucose components. Then add some hypertonic vinegar and_ very carefully _drip some acid from the poison glands of a Vileplume._ _Swirl it around, carefully heat it up to 375 for ten minutes, then cool it down to 270 to make the crystals. Add some purified Jellicent water – wonder if I can get Raihan to catch another one since it’s easier than using magic water – and dehydrate. Rinse and dehydrate three more times to make sure it’s clean. Carefully weigh out the amount – damn, I need to get a scale if I’m making this much medication because just doing it by feel isn’t really good enough. Now I just have to pack it with the dehydrated algae carrier molecule, and there we go!_

She looked down at all the pills she made and was immensely pleased with herself. _Gods, I’m good!_ She thought, then ran upstairs to finish the Repels.

While she was busy in the workrooms, Raihan took it upon himself to finish cleaning and organizing the rest of their house. When he finished putting away as much as he could, he knocked on the storeroom door.

“Are you well?”

“Huh? Oh yes, I’m great!” she said enthusiastically. “Look! I made a bunch of salacin, and the Repels are upstairs! I mean, it won’t mean much to you, but this is good for a ton of things! It’s been a while since I did this, but I think it turned out really well! I’ll need a scale to help measure it out when I open the store, but this is great! I’m talking too much again, aren’t I?” she added at the look on his face.

He just smiled down at her before draping his arms over her shoulders. “I do not mind. Your voice is pleasant, and I want to hear more of it.”

“Thanks,” she said, unable to hide her own smile. “And thanks for taking care of the rest of the house. You’re an angel.”

He bent down and touched her forehead with his. “Not angel. I am a dragon who has caring for his home.”

The words were warmth in her skin, in her chest, and she kissed him for a few moments before saying, “Then, welcome home, Raihan.”

* * *

It was well into the night, with her in bed reading the history book by mage-light because she was so wired from the day’s events that she couldn’t sleep right away, when Sonia got a knock on her door.

“Come in.”

When Raihan opened the door, she was struck by how exhausted he looked. Different than how he looked at dinner when they enthusiastically planned the upcoming day. “Are you all right?”

“I… do not know,” he said, but didn’t move from the doorway.

She immediately put down her book. “What do you need?”

He glanced around, as if looking for someone to come through the house, before shaking his head. “I want to talk.”

“I don’t mind, but you look a little tired.”

“I am always tired. But I cannot sleep because…,” and he drifted off and Sonia filled in the gaps.

“You can come in, if you want. You’re always welcome here.”

“Thank you. But I think it will be better in my room. Because I would like to tell you today’s secret.”

She sat up a little straighter, caught between concern and curiosity. Usually he didn’t wait this long to drop one on her, and usually he didn’t look this upset at the prospect. “Are you sure? I mean, I love hearing about you, but…”

He ran a hand through his loosened hair, gripping it at the base before looking at her and saying, “I think you want this one.”

Without a thought, she slid out of bed and followed him back into his room. She’d only been in once to check the color of the walls but had left anything related to his belongings solely in his purview to give him some privacy. And there wasn’t a lot exposed right now, but he had the spear and Leon’s sword resting on the wall mount, clean clothes conspicuously missing and probably put away, and the prayer table placed near the window. His bed had crumpled blankets and it wasn’t until he sat down and gestured for her to join him that she did too, one leg dangling over the edge as they faced each other.

_His room. His sanctuary. His quiet place._ “Do you like this so far?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The air became uncomfortable for the first time in a long while, but Sonia had no choice but to wait for him. And she would.

“I am still not sleeping good. You know this,” he started. A few attempts to talk, and some time to collect his thoughts and mutter out words in Pasaari, before he started again. “So I am wanting to try and see if, maybe, talking will help.”

“I’m here for you. I promise. You can tell me anything.”

He took a deep breath, looking like he was steeling himself for a world of hurt, before he finally said. “In Pasaar, there is army much like in Galar. It is to protect land and people, and is many ten-zero-zero years old.”

_Ten-zero-zero?_ “A… thousand?”

“One with three zeros?”

“Yes.”

“Then, yes. A thousand years. But many more than that. And I was part of it.”

Sonia’s heart sped up; he was finally going to tell her about being a guardsman and where his adventurer training came from. “I knew it. You _had_ to be a professional, given how good you were during the exam.”

“Yes. In army, there are many groups. Some are healers. Some are on foot. Some have jobs to do secret work.”

“Like spying?” Sonia asked.

“I do not know that word.”

“A spy is someone who watches another person without them knowing. They’re usually trying to get important secrets.”

“Then yes, Pasaar has some spy. More now than years before, I think,” he said. “There are also warriors who fight in water, and those who fight in the air. Pasaar is pride about its magic, which is very strong. Better than Galar. But new things we are not good with. Carriages without animals, boxes that make fire for cooking, or boxes for keeping cold food – very uncommon in Pasaar.”

“You rely on your magic,” Sonia guessed.

“As you say. But I am not pay attention to my talking. The Army of Pasaar has many parts, as I said early. But most important is army people for protecting _Zhah_ , or _Netah_. King or woman-king.”

“Queen.”

“Queen, then. But part for protecting _Zhah_ or _Netah_ is called _Azjana Jengu_ – Dragon Warrior. Very rare fighter can join. Maybe… twenty?”

She nodded. “It sounds like the equivalent of our Knights of the Sword and Shield. They protect the King and his family.”

“Ah. I had heard that phrase, but did not know what it meant,” he said. “To be _Azjana Jengu_ , it means you are strong and smart. To become one, you must first be best warrior. Spear is best, but must also know sword and-,” and he made a gesture of holding out a bow and firing an arrow.

“Archery?”

“Yes. And magic skills. Then you must find dragon egg, steal from mother, care for baby, raise and train it, and then train together to fight while riding.”

She let out a low whistle as she put everything together. “Oh my gods, you rode a dragon?”

“I rode two,” he said with beaming pride, then pointed to his left shoulder. “Duraludon named Fareed. He was my earth dragon. His skin, strong as strongest sword. And Zhubin, my Flygon,” he said, pointing to his right shoulder, “was my sky dragon. Fast as lightning, fly higher than any other dragon.”

“Your tattoos,” she said breathlessly. He was shirtless, as he preferred when sleeping, and he angled himself a little more closely to her so she could study them. They were just as amazing as the first day she saw them, still alive with a certain energy that seemed uncanny. “Beautiful.”

“It is ritual. Our dragons fight with us. Many will be hurt or die. So these are sign that we have pain for them, because they have pain for us.”

“Including these ones?” and Sonia pointed to the one over his temple, unable to keep from brushing his head with her fingers.

“No. These ones are magic; ink is mixed with dragon blood. I talk to them with my mind with these.”

“Telepathy with dragons,” she said in awe. “I always thought dragons were too wild and dangerous for any kind of magic like that.”

“Not ones raised by hand, with heart.”

“And you did it with two?!”

“Yes. Because I wanted to prove myself. It was not easy, but it was good. We were good.” Now Raihan looked right at her, and she saw a glimmer of arrogance in his eyes. “We were best.”

“Really?” she grinned.

“Yes. We were _Rheta_. Best and number one. _Netah_ trusted us most.”

It took a not-insignificant amount of time for that to sink in, for her to understand that _he’s not exaggerating_. “Wait a minute. Are you saying you were the leader of your highest-ranking army division?”

“Yes.”

The reality hit her hard enough that she couldn’t talk, that she couldn’t close her mouth as her thoughts rolled over each other. _By the Three… I’m the_ owner _of the strongest Dragon Warrior in Pasaar! This is_ not _what I was prepared to hear! I don’t think I’m prepared to hear the rest._

“Sonia?” he asked, waving a hand in front of her face. “Are you well?”

She couldn’t just get up and pace back and forth because this wasn’t about her and she needed to _get a fucking grip_ but she couldn’t keep from saying, “I’m just shocked because goddamn _Champion of Pasaar_ is my slave! Dear gods above, this is bad. This is very bad.”

Now he looked confused. “Why is it bad?”

“You’re an important person – the guardsman to your _King_ – and I am most definitely not that important!” she said, then when she saw him open his mouth to argue she held up a hand. “Don’t. I’m getting off-topic. Just… I’m sorry. I wasn’t being sensitive. I’m here to listen. Or… or we can stop,” because he didn’t look so arrogant all of a sudden, and she knew why. Sonia had one final question and refused to ask it, but Raihan looked down at his hands and took a deep breath.

“My last night in Pasaar had been in battle against those who tried to hurt _Netah_. It… went bad. I was hurt – scar from here to here-” and he gestured from his hip to shoulder, “scar you healed, it was made that night. And before I was made into slave, my dragons were killed.”

“Gods, I’m sorry,” she whispered, reaching out to hold his hand. “I knew they must be gone, but… I’m so sorry.”

“Fareed died before I knew of attack. Woke me with pain from burning,” he said, hand unconsciously going to his left temple before falling away. “Zhubin escaped, was fighting with me. But there were too many and it was only us. After they hurt me and tied me up, they killed him.” A moment of aching silence, and he whispered, “I do not remember two days next.”

Sonia’s chest and stomach burned with grief, and she thought she’d spit up acid if she opened her mouth.

“I feel empty in my head, like songs that no longer plays. I think of them a lot. And I dream of them alive, dream of us riding home, or riding to free Pasaari from slavery,” he said, and it was like the words were tumbling out of him even though his expression was so neutral as to be corpse-like. “I hear their voices when I dream, talking to me. Perhaps it is just memory… or perhaps they left part of their spirits with me.”

“I’m sure they’re with you. They knew how much you loved them – you could feel each other.”

A faint smile but not quite right; she could see the way his lips wavered with emotion. “I did. I _loved_ them greatly.”

Now she was watching him start to fray and tear at the edges, could almost feel a subtle tremor in the bed as he held himself together with the last of his strength.

“But sometimes… _ruvan_ are their anger,” he said, voice becoming rough and wet. “They are angry, so angry I let them die. Or they are scared. Or have pain. And they keep asking why – why did I not help? Why did I not make them better? Why did I not save them? Why did they die… and why did I live?”

His head fell forward against her shoulder, and she immediately cradled him against her as if she could protect him from his own demons. “And I have no answer. I still do not. It is why I cannot sleep. Four years later, and I still have not forgiven myself for failing them,” and his voice died at that last word, and his hands clutched her shoulders as they went around her body, and he was lost to the pain.

She was silent while he wept and spoke to his lost dragons in Pasaari, and Sonia had no doubt that this was the first time he’d gotten a chance to mourn the loss without fear of punishment from an owner. As she stroked his hair and kissed his forehead, she whispered no words of love and encouragement, did not try to distract him from this catharsis. Her support was unspoken but unyielding. She would not let him be alone with his pain as long as she was with him.

It took time for his cries to turn into silent tears, and she didn’t rush him. Instead, as he was calming down, she made him lie down with her on the bed and continued to gently cradle him. She slowly brushed the tears from his eyes and began singing in a voice that was very unsuited for music. There was a thread of magic hidden inside, though Piers would have probably rolled his eyes to hear it – because her Skill was decidedly _not_ in songspells so it wasn’t subtle – but it did the trick. A minute into an old, familiar Galarian lullaby, and Raihan was sleeping peacefully, chest rising and falling in even breaths, and she could carefully roll him onto his back and free herself from his embrace.

_With the gods’ luck, he will not remember me singing to him_ , she thought. _That_ would be nightmare inducing, indeed.

But he needed the mental break. After all the events of the past two weeks, to say nothing of his time being abused, Sonia could only imagine the emotional stress he had gone through. The lullaby should keep him asleep through the night and maybe into better morning hours. She had put her heart into it, and hoped it would be enough.

_I will take care of you. I swear it._

After what he’d told her, she knew she’d have to double down on finding answers to breaking slave contracts. Then, when she broke the contract ( _because I will!_ ), and when he was ready, she could give him back to the land that needed him.

_He can’t stay with me. He has a role that’s bigger than being a mere alchemist’s bodyguard. So no matter what he swore to me on FireDay, it doesn’t matter. He’s not mine. He’s never been mine._

_But for the time I have… I’ll cherish him as if he were._

It was an awful, horrible, heart-wrenching decision, but Sonia felt like it was the only correct one. She’d planned to send him home, but that intention had wavered when she came to grips with how she really felt about him, combined with his vow to stay at her side. Yet remembering what he’d told her just now… there was no way she could stake a higher claim than his country and his queen. Not when they’d only been together for less than a month.

_No, no more uncertainty. He goes back to Pasaar because that’s what’s right, no matter what I want._

_And what about what he wants?_ Came a thought from the back of her mind.

_He’ll want to go back. I know he will._

_But what if he doesn’t? What if he wants to stay?_

That thought – that he would choose her over his home – made her stomach twist with emotions she couldn’t quite place. _Then… I guess we’ll see, won’t we?_

_Yes. I guess we will_.

Sonia spent a few minutes gently stroking Raihan’s hair, brushing it off the temple tattoos, and running her fingers over his skin. His left shoulder was next to her, and she tried to memorize the look of the dragon that rested on him.

_You must be Fareed,_ she thought, tracing the dragon’s body up from his bicep to the deltoid. It was all sharp edges, stocky and broad and wingless, but she got the impression that its skin was made of steel shards instead of scales. Which would be odd; she’d not seen a metal dragon before – not that she made it a habit to search for them – but the angles were too perfect to be natural. Regardless, there was a great deal of _personality_ in the tattoo, in the pose that it chose. She’d bet money it was a proud, stubborn creature – probably a little too much like its rider.

_I wonder if you were as gentle as you were powerful. I wonder if you were rough and tough and didn’t suffer anyone but Raihan to be around you, or if you let children touch your skin and feed you treats. I wonder what he looked like when he rode with you. I wonder what he looked like when he looked at you._

So many pieces of his life lost for good, facets of a Raihan she didn’t know and so desperately wanted to, but it was not to be changed. She had the here and now, and she would take matters into her own hands just as she did when Gran died, when the Invasion hit, when she woke up in this not-right-time.

_It’s my job to help him get back what he can, no matter the cost. No matter how it hurts._

She laid a kiss on his lips – he didn’t even stir – before slipping off his bed, tucking him in, shutting the door, and heading back into her room, feeling like this moment was just the start of a long goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes (02/22/21): What was... and what can no longer be.
> 
> I'm going to take a break from this story for a short time, as I'd like to get back to my other two stories (and possibly even a third one-shot). Given the revelation that Raihan has just dropped into Sonia's lap (actually, he dropped a whole bunch of them) I'm a fan of giving the readers a chance to muse on this particularly heavy chapter before coming back.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's been reading and commenting. I really do appreciate it, and it helps keep the energy flowing.


End file.
